東京グール：花色よりも暗い黒Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: (Re-write of Requiem for a Demon) "I'm not the protagonist of a novel or anything. I was a exiled prince seeking vengeance for my mother, and wanting to make a world where my sister could be happy. I ended dying to make that world a reality. But... if you were to make me a protagonist, I suppose the genre of the story I'm in would be... a tragedy." OP THEME: "Enigmatic Feeling"
1. Episode 0

**Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black  
**

 _Trailer  
_

Silence... a cold, yet chilling silence settled in the air. Chains rattled ever so silently, links clinking softly with each sway. The room was wretched, the air tinted with rotting flesh and pungent with the taint of blood. The floor checkered with black and white, the ceiling with a bloody cage. A table, lined with deathly tools, settled on wood. Pliers, saws, needles, cleavers, weapons or painful instruments of pain laid there.

A chair was settled in the center of the room, blood splatters circling all around it. The wood remained weak, yet continued to remain firm and sturdy. A single person rested there. His clothes, ripped and tattered, hung on his frame. It was slim, yet mass etched into every fiber, becoming thick muscle atop the brittle bone. The top was torn apart, the sleeves shredded and left only the arms. Bruises and scars were left behind at the skin, the fingers bearing red, irritated skin, and the nails as black as the floor. His pants were equally as damaged, coming only to the calves. Like the muscle at the legs, injuries were left behind, and like the nails at his fingers, his toes were also red and irritated with damaged skin. His head was left hanging, lowered with the white strands flowing down, hiding his eyes with scars and wounds and bruises were left on his cheeks.

The door to the room opened, the metal doors swinging outward. The owner of this room stepped inside, his tall frame waltzing forward. Every inch of him was well-toned and thick, his blonde hair slicked back, a white mask hiding away his face from prying eyes. It was modeled to be akin to a hockey mask, and dressed in a pristine white, ornate suit with a black undershirt, buttoned neatly and well with a yellow tie at the neck, hung around his collar like a noose. Like his jacket, his slacks were of the same pure color, which contrasted to his hellish existence.

"You look comfortable," the man noted as he walked toward the young man who sat in the chair, his hands and feet bound by steel chain. "Then again, given how long you've been here, I suppose I should be impressed. Look at you! So calm, so cool... and yet so ready to crack!" He threw his head back as he laughed, which sounded more like death roes as he tapped the pliers in his hand into his palm. "I'm sure you can hear the sounds outside, right? The sounds of Ghouls being slaughtered left and right? That's the CCG knocking at our front door, you know. They walking into our little hang out, guns blazing like some kind of hero or something. While I wish we could continue this game..."

He stopped, several feet away from the youth, his pliers falling into his hand. He gripped it into a vice-like hold, his broad hands clenched around the steel. "Everything has to come to an end." the man said as he tossed the pliers to the table, and slowly pulled the mask up, revealing only the lower half of his face, which showed a sickening grin. "Oh, and we also have new orders as well... What was the name of that little group of yours? Anteiku? Yeah... they're to be eliminated."

He pulled the mask back, revealing narrowed and squinty, cold and brutal eyes, and a pungent and thick nose. "So, whaddya say, kiddo? Shall I devour you here... at the end of it all?"

He stopped right in front of the youth, his head lowered, and his fingers twitching in anticipation. He could hear it now, the sound of blood being splattered in gallons, and bones being crushed into more crumbs. Flesh would be torn apart, and left only as unrecognizable mush. He glowered at his prize, waiting for the opportune time. He wanted one last look, one last time to see the face of one of the most intriguing specimens he ever had the pleasure of toying with.

He hadn't not expected them to chuckle. He also hadn't expected them to sound so feminine... and so familiar.

 _"We meet again,"_ the boy chuckled as he lifted his face, revealing a woman with violet eyes and hair, the strands falling down past her shoulders and hung like a drape. Her eyes showed only amusement, and her luscious, beautiful lips curled into a smirk. _"Poor Yamori... all that brawn and no brain."_

Yamori felt his body shake. There it was! The face of that damnable woman! The face of the one who humiliated him so much! Oh, what wondrous joy he felt! Here she was, right in front of him with his toy! He could only laugh as he cracked the bones in his finger, the muscles in his back contracting as the blood began to flow and throb. "I knew there was something special about you!" he screamed as bloody thorns erupted from his back, twisted and mangled wings stretching outward and poised to kill. "Let me... **_TAKE FROM YOU!_** "

The demonic tendrils lashed forward, slamming right into the young man that sat in the chair. Chains and wood were snapped apart and torn into mere shreds. Smoke clouded all around him like a cape or a cloak, hiding everything from view. Yamori grinned in sickly pleasure, relishing his action. When the smoke would clear, he would only find death in it's finest form, a pleasure only he could indulge himself in.

Then, he found his neck being roped in iron. He gagged as his body was jerked back, his fingers wrapping around the chain. He felt a weight on his back, someone holding the chain tightly.

"If you want something to eat," the youth told him from behind, his voice so calm and cool as it had been. "then _devour this_."

Yamori roared as he threw the boy over his shoulder, the chains snapping with ease. He felt a sharp pain erupt from his cheek, but only for a moment as the young man flew through the air, twirling as he soared before his feet landed gently on the ground with grace. His white hair shifted, revealing the right eye with a violet iris of untold brilliance... and a bloody red eye, surrounded by a charcoal darkness all around the sclera as it glared back at him.

Yamori growled in annoyance and anger. How did he escape?! And where did he get this strength?! He was left weak from the RC Cell Suppressants that was placed into the retina of his eye! It was the only place where they were truly vulnerable with normal tools. So how?! How could he have gotten this strong?! The young man said nothing, his face still etched in a cold expression as he wiped something away from his mouth, a red smear painted on his fingers.

"That's foul..."

Yamori realized what the smear was when he felt something trail down the side of his cheeks, eyes widening with outrage.

"Y-you _bit_ me?!"

His hand fell from his face, eyes uncaring and revealing a cold menace. "You taste like intestines of a fish on the verge of rotting."

The burly Ghoul growled in anger, his thorny appendages launching themselves forward, into the air and aimed to reduce the youth to a mere bloody splatter and mangled lump of flesh. The youth leaped to intercept, his body whirling around and spinning, avoiding each lash easily. When one of the two demented wings came too close for comfort, he would angle himself so it would spin around him. When it almost impaled him, he would use his strength to bounce away, using the demented limb as a mere springboard before leaping against the other one. However, his target was clear, and Yamori grinned madly, revealing the pearly whites in his mouth. The teen tried to slam his leg into him, but he had caught the limb with his hands, digging his fingers into the flesh itself, tightening the grip to where nothing except amputation would free it.

"I've got you now-!"

The teen merely stared at him with indifference, his menace becoming a imposing being as he twirled around in his grasp. His leg twisted, the bones cracking and breaking, shattering into bits while the flesh split cleanly. Yamori couldn't help but express surprise. Not only had he gained strength, rather than weakness like he had expected, he had grown bold and uncaring of himself! He willingly damaged his own body! Finally gaining distance, and a momentum from the spin, the teen threw his other leg, the heel slamming straight into the man's jaw. A shattering _'crack'_ echoed in the air harshly as Yamori lost his grip, his immense form being flung back. His hulking frame bounced across the floor, destroying the table lined with his tools before he crashed into the wall. Debris and smoke flew into the air.

The white-haired boy looked down at his twisted leg. Within a moment, it spun back back into place, the cut sown closed, and the bones pulling themselves back into place. "You think, after everything you've done..." he said coldly, looking back at where his adversary rested. "...something like _that_ hurts?"

Groans and growls emerged from the cloud of dust. Incoherent mutterings accompanied the sounds of flesh being ripped apart and being mended back together, bones breaking and shattering before being repaired. "I-I'll kill you..." Yamori growled, his voice becoming cracked and wrecked with pain and suffering. Rather than the twisted and demented wings that emerged from his back, thick bloody armor began to encroach his arm, wrapping around it to the point where his flesh was being crushed and turned into mince-meat. The armor even dug into his skull, entering the corners of his mouth and covering the upper half of his face, even his scalp. "I-I'll kill you!" Yamori howled, saliva drooling down his mouth and spit being flung into the air with each word. "Kill you! Kill you! **I'LL KILL YOU!** "

In response to the madness, the youth cracked his index finger with his thumb, a smirk pulling onto his face. Yamori had enough waiting around. He didn't care anymore. This brat, t-this maddening little insect, he-he was a pest! A-a pest! Pest! Pest! P-pest needed to die! T-they all deserve to be squashed! K-kill him! Kill him! Devour! E-eat! Consume his very being! Leave nothing! G-gah, this madness he felt... oh, how he wished he could relish it with his own sanity! This wonderful power was beginning to drive him mad! Mad! Mad! MAD!

" _ **LUUUUUUUUKAAAAAA!"**_

Yamori lunged, his armored arm reaching forward to grab and crush the ant in front of him. The teen moved in tandem, his body flowing underneath the attack before moving behind the hulking behemoth. The Ghoul known as Jason whirled around on his foot, swinging his arm like a club. Lelouch leaped over it, twirling over Yamori before landing back on his feet, and delivering a back-kick to his face. The attack had no effect, the armor easily absorbing the impact. Again, Yamori went on the offensive, trying to grab and smash him. He swung his arm wildly, trying to touch and destroy, but Lelouch was agile in his feet, easily avoiding each strike. Annoyed, he tried to punch him straight through, giving the young Ghoul the opportunity he had been waiting for.

He ducked underneath the strike, and reared his arm back, stepping forward and delivering a strike to his gut. The punch hit him square and dead-on, the flesh shaking and the air shuddering. At first, there was no reaction, the two stood in silence. Yamori delivered a sick grin. The attack had done no damage at all. Lelouch was left at point-blank, no where to move. That fact alone provided him the opportunity as his armored limb wrapped around him before he could escape, enveloping his form completely in a bloody dome before he sent him flying with a toss. It was a straight shot, no tumbling, and the youth slammed directly into the wall. The force behind the throw was immense, enough so that the ground shook with tremendous force, and pieces of the caged ceiling fell to the ground.

Yamori panted heavily, his right side feeling heavily weighed. Sweat poured down his body, trying to catch his breath. What a hassle, how hard was it to put down a bug? Oh, well, what did it matter now? H-he was dead, right? Dead like a doornail? Dead as d-dead? Hahahahaha! What-what luck! What good timing! He struggled, but he destroyed him! He-he was nothing but a splatter! That meant he could eat him, right?! Right?! No one was stopping him! Ooh... ooooh! The hunger! It was so maddening! So maddening! He-he needed to eat... he needed to-!

He stopped when he saw Lelouch step out of the cloud of debris, his body untouched and unharmed. "Was that it?" he asked, almost mockingly as he cracked his middle finger. His top fluttered, a black blotch on his back forming before four purple-red tendrils emerged out, spreading outward and forming into sharp, lashing spears. He grinned widely as he looked back at Yamori, who watched in anger and hunger. "Looks like... it's **_my_** turn."

Yamori growled, panting like a dog before he tossed himself forward, ready to destroy him again. " ** _LUUUKAAAA!_** " he cried out. Lelouch, however, was the one to attack first, leaping into the air with his tendrils stabbed into the ground, and leaving his body to strike away freely with the other two. They attacked in swift tandem, Yamori barely able to properly defend himself. He slammed his arm back and forth, defending and blocking against each strike. However, he was defending against one at a time, and found himself quickly being attacked with an even quicker pace. He could not keep up.

Eventually, the tendrils attacked all at once. The two launched forward, faster than what Yamori was able to defend, and crushed the ground. Another dust cloud launched all around while Lelouch fell back to the ground with a crouch, his tendrils keeping him balanced. He sat there for a few seconds, staring at the cloud with a malicious intent as he stood back up, his tendrils not losing their tension. When he stood back up, Yamori launched out of the cloud, the armor broken away to reveal his eyes, wide and broken with absolute madness. Now, only hunger and madness plagued his once horrifying psyche.

" ** _LUUUUUUUUUKAAAAAAAA!"_**

And so they danced again, tendrils clashing against an armored limb. Yamori's movements became sluggish and eratic, and Lelouch moved with a terrifying quickness, and a methodical onslaught. The armor was creaking and cracking, looking ready to break. It could not handle the overwhelming attacks that happened at such a terrifying pace. Yamori did not care. He was little but a mindless beast now, which served to the teen's favor. When the Ghoul tried to bash him in, attacking from behind with a whirling backhand, Lelouch had moved with a nearly unbelievable speed, the tendrils all poised. He floated underneath the strike, and the tendrils were aimed to strike with a deadly stab. It was over, and Yamori did not realize it.

He struck.

The armor broke apart, creating bloody pieces of brittle. Lelouch's body was launched into the air, having struck with a soaring pierce. Yamori screamed in pain, feeling the madness that idled his mind becoming wrought with searing pain. He didn't even see the tendrils slamming down upon him, this time with an even greater force. It smashed down upon his body, obliterating the ground completely. Yet another cloud of dust was launched into the air.

When it cleared, Yamori laid on the ground, beaten and broken, the armor that once shielded his body degraded. Cuts, bruises, and wounds painted his skin. His attire was long gone, reduced to mere shambles. Lelouch stood outside the crater, the tendrils still present, and his gaze still as cold. He cracked his ring finger as one of the tendrils moved, piercing Yamori's left arm. The man screamed out in agony and pain, feeling the bones in his wrist being severed completely.

Lelouch did not care for it. "...What's one thousand minus seven?" he asked. Yamori glanced back at him, shaking and shivering from pain and fright. That question was the same one he frequently asked during their 'play time.' That question was meant for them to not crack from the pain, to not snap from the agony, and to remember every morel of pain. And now... it was being directed at him.

He did not answer. Another tendril pierced him, this time in his left ankle. Again, he screamed.

Again, Lelouch did not care. "I'll ask you again..." he said coldly, repeating himself. "What's one thousand minus seven?"

Yamori still did not answer. He couldn't, not when his body was aching and screaming in absolute pain and agony. Another tendril struck him, and pierced his right ankle. "I can keep this up all day." the boy told him harshly. "Answer the question... what is one thousand minus seven?"

Finally, when the fourth tendril destroyed his right hand, Yamori, unable to stand the pain and seeking any way out, answered, his voice cracked. "N-nine hundered... ninety three...!" he called out, tears dropping from his face and streaming down his cheeks, falling from his chin. "N-nine hundred... eighty six... N-nine hundred... seventy.. s-seventy nine... N-nine... Nine h-hundred... a-and seventy three..."

As he continued to call out numbers, Lelouch sat on his back. The tendrils kept him pinned to the ground, and Lelouch did not leave him any room to escape... not in his condition. "You tried to kill me earlier..." he said, his tone dark as he cracked his pinky finger, his left hand going to his ear, where a creature squirmed inside the canal. "Even worse, you tried to kill Euphie..." He took hold of its head, and pulled it out, blood dribbling out of the hole as the centipede fell to the floor with a splat. "...so you have no right to complain if I eat you."

He leaned forward.

"... _ **right**_?"

He opened his mouth, and clamped his teeth down on Yamori's neck.

A gulp echoed silently.

On that day, the Ghoul Luka Mezame, formerly Demon Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, lost his humanity for the second time


	2. Episode 1: Unwanted New Life

**東京グール：花色よりも暗いブラック/** **Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black  
**

 _"If it is true that all living things possess a 'soul,' then Arata has made it painfully clear that he has no intentions of helping you." -The One-Eyed Owl_

* * *

 _Episode 1: Unwanted New Life_

* * *

"...do we do...?"

"...organs damaged...transplant..."

"...permission...next of kin..."

"...full responsibility...!"

"...doctor...!"

"...save at least...she's already...prepare transplant...!"

 _'...H...Huh...?'_ A single thought ran through his foggy mind. Everything was blurry and out of focus, his senses dulled, his hearing muddled, even his sense of touch was numb. It was almost as if he were in a dream.

But...it didn't feel like it.

Every part of him felt numb. He couldn't feel anything: his fingers refused to move, his toes couldn't twitch, and his eyes remained shut. He also felt cold, as if he had been thrown into cold water. He could hear voices, but they were clouded and muddled. It was as if something was preventing him from hearing.

 _'What...'_

The world around him was cold and damp, nothing but a void of water. It twirled and flourished around him, but below it, a murky darkness rested at the bottom. In a way, it could have represented a purity of sorts, and the murky darkness the tainted part of his existence.

He was unable to see much through the obscure blackness. It was as if it was all encompassing and imprisoning him into a confined space.

 _'What... was I...'_

His mind was obscured. There were memories and thoughts, but everything was jumbled up like a mangled mess. It was impossible to define them.

It was just a mass of blurs, sound, emotion, all mixed and stirred up like a vicious storm.

Suddenly, the dark murk below shifted, churning. The watery void, which had been a light blue, was slowly becoming tinted red.

 _'Huh...? Red...is this...Blood...?'_ The voice questioned again.

The liquid around him had grown thicker and murkier, signifying that it was no longer water.

The air around him became hard to breath. His chest became constricted, his throat felt like it was being strangled. However, in this suffering, he found a strange warmth wrapping around him. It first touched his back, a softness that pressed into him, then wrapped around him, reaching to his chest and trailing up his body before reaching his face. His eyes were shielded by the warmth.

It all felt...comforting...

And yet, at the same time, it felt so... cold.

A voice whispered huskily in his ear, cold and malicious, and yet also at the same time, beautiful and gentle, a strange paradox of contradiction. " _ **Wake up... Lelouch-kun~**_ "

The warmth vanished from his eyes. His eyelids twitched, slowly fluttering open to reveal a white sclera and beautiful purple irises.

In the real world, slowly awakening from his own inner reality, the young man felt himself stirring awake. His breathing was still labored, as an oxygen mask was strapped over his face. His hair was unkempt and messy, framing his face, and his build was lanky and skinny, with hardly any sort of muscle at all. However, slowly, his left eye twitched.

Then, it snapped open. Instead of an immaculate white...the sclera was a soulless black, resembling the darkness of midnight. The iris was also a different color. It was the color of bloody crimson.

Veins were pulsing angrily around it, while the right eye was barely open to reveal the simple white and the purple center.

On that day, the 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lelouch vi Britannia, awoke with no humanity.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

 _'At first, I wasn't sure what had happened. When I awoke, I found myself in what looked like a hospital, surrounded by men and women in white coats or dark blue uniforms with a white cap atop their head. I couldn't understand what they were talking about, other than catching something along the lines of a miracle or that they were astounded._

 _It took me about a day to re-organize my thoughts, as well as the mess in my memories. I knew something was wrong when I woke up, that strange feeling of disturb that irked me to no end. It was that I was supposed to have died, all for the sake of making a better world, and taking that hatred with me... and yet, here I am in a hospital bed. It was around that same time that my senses started to repair themselves. I was able to function more properly. A doctor named Kanou had informed me that I was involved in some kind of accident. My kidneys were damaged, and they were beyond repair. The only way they could save me was if they used the organs of their only donor: the other victim who died. I remember it, strangely... I can vividly recall as my supposed 'donor' tried to kill me, bearing something I couldn't understand._

 _And yet... I can remember how Suzaku put a blade through my chest. I couldn't understand it. Why did I have two sets of memories?_

 _It was all so confusing and nothing made any sense whatsoever. I KNOW that I was killed by Suzaku after accumulating the worlds hatred onto my shoulders. I died before everyone, spending the last moments of life beside Nunnally in a half dead state._

 _Yet why was I visualizing something emit rely different?!_

 _It also did not help matters when the doctors and nurses referred to me by a name I did not recognize whatsoever._

 _Luka Mezame._

 _Why on earth would they call me that? That is not my name. It's Lelouch...that much I'm aware._

 _There was also something else that I noticed... they were speaking Japanese. Just because I'm Britannian doesn't mean I don't know the language. When Charles zi Britannia sent my sister and I to Japan to be used as bargaining chips, we didn't know anything about it. Kaguya and Tohdoh, however, were the only ones who could actually speak English, the former being natural given her want to be involved in politics. By the end of the first month, we could speak Japanese fluently._

 _However, in Area 11, Japanese was banned for all intents and purposes. Hardly anyone spoke it... except perhaps those in the ghettos, and the Japanese resistance cells such as the Kouzuki Freedom Fighters, and the Japanese Liberation Front. The building and the outside world alone spoke that this wasn't the ghetto, so... why..._

 _Why were they all speaking Japanese? More importantly, everyone I saw, whether they were patients or visitors or doctors or nurses, they were all Japanese as well. Of course, the biggest problem I had with this whole thing... was how they were viewing me, different name be damned._

 _I was the 99th Emperor of Britannia, the Demon Emperor, the enemy of the world... so why..._

 _Why were they helping me?!_

 _Why...why were they so intent on keeping me alive? They are supposed to leave me to die! I'm supposed to die to ensure this world's peace. Stop helping me! Stop trying to save me! Just leave me alone...!_

 _ **JUST LET ME DIE!** '_

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

It was by the third day that the doctor who watched over Lelouch, Kanou, came by more frequently. He was an elder man with wrinkles, his white hair combed back neatly. Like any doctor, he was not seen without his gentle smile, and his white coat. "How are you feeling, Luka-kun?" he asked, a clipboard in his hand. "It's been a while since we last met, hasn't it?"

Lelouch did not answer him. The last couple of days had not been kind. His eyes looked empty, as if they were somewhere far away, and his hair was messy and unhinged. He was bathed recently, a few days prior to waking up, but he still looked disheveled. Perhaps it was just from the accident itself.

"I hear you haven't been eating well." Kanou said, taking the silence in stride as he jotted down a few things. "Is there something wrong with the food?"

"...I just don't feel like eating." he finally answered, his tone quiet and empty.

"I think I might understand." the doctor nodded. "You're still recovering from the accident. It's only natural. Just give it some time, and maybe your appetite might come back."

"...you said, accident." Lelouch looked back at him, his eyes still so void of life. "Wasn't I... stabbed?"

"Stabbed?" Kanou raised an eyebrow, looking up from his notes as he shook his head. "Oh, no, nothing like that. You were nearly killed in a steel girder accident. We had to use that girl's organs to save your life. Oh, and speaking of saving, how are your taste buds? I know the topic of food might be redundant to you, but..."

"...I don't know. It all tastes bland."

Kanou's pencil stopped, his eyes widening in surprise. "...Come again?"

"It doesn't matter what I eat." Lelouch told him. "Whether it's miso soup, or tofu, or rice, it all tastes like nothing."

"...Nothing?" The Doctor asked again in genuine interest.

"Yeah. If I were to describe what I eat, it all tastes like chewed up gum. Everything I ate, nothing was salty, sweet, bitter, spicy, greasy, dry, moist, or even disgusting. It was all...flavorless and no texture whatsoever." The patient shrugged.

"Is that so..." Kanou hummed, curious about the development before he regained his smile. "Likely just a phase. I'm sure you'll get your sense of taste back in no time." He placed his pencil back in his pocket and stood up. "I'll visit you again soon enough. Until next time, Luka-kun."

Lelouch said nothing as the old man left the room.

"That smile...it was fake..." the patient stated as he continued to stare at the door. He knew that the doctor was only putting up a facade. But the question is...why?

Why would the man need to do that? Was he aware of who he was?

At any rate, all he could really do was wait around, as much as he hated to loath it. He still couldn't understand why these people were trying to help him, nor why they still kept calling him Luka. It boggled his mind, and annoyed him.

He hated not knowing what was going on. He needed information. But... how would he obtain it?

He was still confined to this bed. He knew there was no way of escaping anytime soon due to his recovering body. He then looked to the monitor next to him and the clamp attached to his finger.

 _'...Maybe I should just die on the Hospital staff to get their attention.'_

His hand just brushed against the clamp when-

" _YOOOOOOO, LUKA-CHAN! YOU UP AND ABOUT!_ "

"H-Hide! That's rude!"

The door was flung open, causing him to jump. "Wha-?!"

"Heh, whoops~" the voice chuckled. "Sorry, kinda forgot."

The second voice sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, Hide..."

The loud male, who Lelouch assumed to be Hide was a young man in his late teens with messy blonde hair. A pair of head phones hung around his neck and around the yellow and black jacket he wore. He had a goofy smile plastered on his face as he looked at the male next to him.

The boy in contrast seemed to be the quiet type. He was a person of the same age, with with short black hair combed neatly and gray eyes. He was wearing a simple gray jacket and slacks.

Lelouch stared at the two in confusion and suspicion. More people who called him by that name... what relation did they have with him?

"Yo, Luka-chan!" Hide greeted him. "Damn, you really do like a zombie with that look!"

"Take a picture," Lelouch drawled humorously. "It'll last longer."

"You see, Hide?" the shy boy sighed, shaking his head as he turned to his friend. "I told you Mezame-san wouldn't want to see anyone like this."

"And miss out seeing our best bud when he's finally allowed visitors? Not a chance, Kaneki!"

Wait...these to guys were his friends...? Well, guess that explains the relation. But Lelouch then realized this would be an opportunity. He would finally be able to find some information about what happened.

"How are you doing, Mezame-san?" the boy named Kaneki asked, showing genuine concern. "I mean, after what happened with Rize-san, you must feel pretty awful..."

"Rize?" Lelouch questioned. Chances were, she was his organ donor... though it did make him wonder if she was human. The memories in his head showed quite the hellish image of her with a sickening grin, black and red eyes, and bloody red tendrils emerging from her back, blood clearly on her mouth. Whatever she was, she was anything but human.

"Yeah, the hot babe you were with!" Hide revealed. "What? Did you forget her or something? Some boyfriend you are."

"Boyfriend?"

Hide's joking manner vanished. Suddenly, he looked just as confused and concerned as Kaneki, the two exchanging looks before turning back to him. "You... really don't remember?"

"Not really no." Lelouch shook his head. "My head's a mess... I can barely recall anything."

"Seriously?" Kaneki frowned. "Then, do you at least remember us? Or when we first met?"

Lelouch was about to open his mouth when a sudden flash of pain seared through his head. "...nrgh?!"

 _'Hey, new kid!'_

 _'...what is it?'_

 _'Don't, what is it, me! You look like your dead to the world!'_

 _'H-Hide! That's rude!'_

 _'Aw, come on, Kaneki! Don't tell your not interested in the new guy too!'_

 _'W-well, I am, but...'_

 _'Then that's that! Say, my name's Hideyoshi Nagachika! But, that's a mouthful, so just call me Hide! This guy is Ken Kaneki! What's your name, newbie?!'_

 _'If I tell you, will you let me read my book in peace?'_

 _'Maybe~'_

 _'...Mezame. Luka Mezame.'_

 _'Nice to meet'cha, Luka-chan! So... you wanna be friends?'_

The memory faded away, setting in place with the stream of ones he knew to be his, and the ones he knew nothing of. "...I just transferred to your middle school, and you didn't leave me alone, even after I told you my name." Lelouch recounted, oddly disturbed by how this memory came to be as he had no record of it, and also wondering why he had a smile on his face.

Hide's face broke into a grin. "Come on, you had to admit, we had fun at the end of the day, right?!"

Lelouch was confused again, but once more, a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"You, maybe, but not me."

Hide's face contorted into playful horror, a hand on his chest. "Uwaaaah! Dear sir, you wound me!" A moment later, he laughed. "Kidding aside, you sure you're alright man? I mean, getting nearly crushed underneath steel beams? Definitely not the best way to go."

"I'm just glad he's alright." Kaneki chimed in. "I'd be sad if Mezame-san died... although, it's also sad that Rize-san died too. I'm sure her family must be grieving to."

"Yeah, maybe. And probably pissed."

Lelouch frowned. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"Right, you probably don't know." Hide remembered that Lelouch had been in the hospital all this time, and therefore had no knowledge of the outside world. "That doctor guy, Kanou or what's his face? He performed a transplant WITHOUT the consent of next of kin, including that Rize chick."

"...Come again...?" Lelouch's eyes widened. Kanou...transplanted his organs without the consent of either party's family?! That was a pretty risky move...A risky move that seems suspicious.

"Yeah, and because of that, Kanou-san has been under hot water." Kaneki nodded in affirmation. "For the last ten days, he's been criticized by the media, and even his own colleagues."

"I think I can understand that." Lelouch replied. "He did go against proper procedures."

' _But... it all seems so suspicious._ ' he thought to himself. Kanou had done an organ transplant without the consent of neither his family, nor this Rize woman's family either. ' _What is he thinking? Dammit, if only I could ask him myself... Wait, hold on a minute.'_

"You said he didn't ask permission from my family, right?"

"Well, kinda hard to do that when they're both dead." Hide deadpanned before he cringed, realizing what he had just said. "...sorry, didn't mean to bring up the touchy subject."

Lelouch froze at his words...but only slightly.

 _'...so my parents are dead...'_

Then again, the thought was natural. Charles and Marianne were dead, consumed and absorbed into C's World. However, given the strange circumstances...

' _Everything is still so confusing_.' Lelouch sighed mentally in annoyance. ' _I don't have any information whatsoever other than what Hideyoshi and Kaneki told me. Chances are, 'my' parents are Luka's, assuming I'm actually him... Tch, how annoying.'_

"S-say, Mezame-san?" Kaneki spoke up, wanting to break the tense atmosphere. "Are you... feeling alright? You've been quiet for a while now... and you're doing it again."

Lelouch snapped from his thoughts, looking up at the shy boy. "H-huh? What?"

"Whenever you're deep in thought, you frown really deeply." the boy pointed out to him. "And whenever you do, you're forehead creases."

"Is...is that so...?" Lelouch faked a tired smile. Really...so they know Luka that well?

"Yeah, kinda makes you look like an old man." Hide joked with a grin. "Well, we'll get out of your hair now. Oh, and tell me if you meet any hot nurses, alright?"

"Hide!"

The blonde simply laughed as he left the room with a furiously blushing Kaneki, leaving the young male alone to his thoughts. He gave a tired sigh as he allowed his body to fall back, a hand at his forehead. "Talk about a headache..." he murmured. Ever since he woke up, things were so out of place, it wasn't even funny. If at all anything, it was a gigantic -pardon his French- clusterfuck that made no sense whatsoever!

Although...he did have a working theory. So far, he found inconsistencies and irregularities that stood out quite blatantly, along with a few subtle ones he picked up. 'The only explanation for all of this is...' Lelouch shook his head. 'No, I need to confirm it for myself.'

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

It had been two weeks before Lelouch was finally allowed to leave the hospital. The doctors were astounded that he had healed so quickly, but they said little of it. They knew how irritated the boy had been during his stay, perhaps a hatred for being couped up for so long, and so very few of them actually interacted with him, sans Kanou. The man had checked up on him regularly, seeing as how he was the one who technically saved his life, albeit being scrutinized for his actions. Lelouch wasn't fooled, however. He could still tell a fake smile from a genuine one.

Right now, he was in the main lobby, dressed in more comfortable clothes. They suited him well, actually. It was a simple shirt that was modified to wear a hood around the neck collar, a black jacket over it with a pair of simple slacks. To keep the pants from falling off was a simple leather belt bearing an average buckle, along with a pair of well-worn sneakers. Now that he could actually look at himself, he was surprised to see how he appeared, at least by what the reflection told him just by staring back at him. He looked significantly older, but retained his purple eyes. His hair had grown to be rather unkempt, and was longed, now reaching past his chin and halfway down his neck.

 _'Is this... really me?_ ' he couldn't help but wonder. He found himself shaken away from his thoughts when Kanou found him, that fake smile still present. "Oh, Doctor Kanou..." he greeted, bowing his head. He made sure to put on the act of the ever-grateful patient.

"Luka-kun." Kanou smiled at him, nodding. "Looks like you're doing well... very much better than two weeks ago."

"I suppose so." he shrugged his shoulders.

"So, how does it feel being out of the hospital at last?"

"Comforting. You really can't stretch your legs in bed." Lelouch remarked. "At any rate, thank you for looking after me through all of this."

"Oh, don't be." the doctor shook his head. "It was my pleasure."

"Very well... Oh, by the way, Doctor Kanou?"

"Hm?"

Lelouch smiled somewhat, trying to look as innocent as possible with also a tone of curiosity. Putting on such facades was rather easy... but then again, he had been living a lie for most of his life. "Have you ever heard of something called the Britannian Empire, or a king named Lelouch vi Britannia?"

Kanou hummed thoughtfully, a hand on his chin. "Hm... I can't really say I have." he confessed to the young man. "I know of the Kingdom of Britain back during the American Revolution, though. And I certainly can't recall of hearing about anyone by that name."

 _'...I knew it.'_

His suspicions were now confirmed. The actions of the Japanese people from before, the interaction between himself, Kaneki, and Hide, it all made sense now.

He was no longer in his own world. The world he is in now is an entirely different realm.

A world where Britannia does not exist.

'. _..Well, this is a new experience._ ' he mused before thanking Kanou as he exited the hospital. ' _Who would have thought that multi-verse theory was actually right? Still, if going by my memories... or rather, Luka's memories, then this place is definitely not without it's problems. Just what in the world IS Rize?'_

He closed his eyes and dove back to the depths of his mind to try and find some form of answer...but nothing truly clicked.

All he could remember were flashes of a beautiful woman with violet hair and glasses. However, the sclera of her eyes were black with blood-red irises. He saw her licking up blood off her hand. Red tendrils snaked around her.

' _Well, all things considered, I suppose the best thing for me to do is hit a library._ ' Lelouch shrugged before he heard something go off. Looking down, he saw that it was his cell phone. ' _Wait, I actually have one?_ ' he thought in surprise before he took it out. ' _Huh, a bit low tech... Then again, Britannia was advanced through Sakuradite, and considering that it doesn't exist, maybe Sakuradite doesn't either.'_

Regardless, he flipped it open, and pressed it against his ear. "Lelou-" he cut himself off, remembering that he was apparently in someone else's body. "Er... Luka speaking."

 **"Yo yo, Luka-chan!"**

The ravenette sighed. "...What do you want, Nagachika?"

 **"What? Can't a guy say hello to a good friend? I heard you just got outta the hospital. Damn man. I knew you heal fast...but in just two weeks?!"**

"Guess I'm just lucky." Lelouch shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, what's going on?"

" **Nothing, really**." Hide replied. " **By the way, did you hear? There's been another Ghoul attack here in the 20th Ward. Nasty stuff huh?** "

He paused in confusion. "Ghoul?" he asked. "20th Ward? What?"

". **..are you sure you're supposed to be out?"**

"Bite me, Nagachika." Lelouch growled. "I said before my memory is still like crap, didn't I?"

 **"Well, yeah I guess...I just didn't think that you would pretty much forget common stuff like this. I mean, seriously...stuff about Ghouls and Wards is all over the media and society. I'd thought something like that would stick in your head."**

 _'Except I'm not from this world, much less am I even your friend.'_ Lelouch thought morbidly. "So, can I take a guess and say Ghoul's are monsters and wards are just districts?"

 **"More or less, yeah. Though I hear it's hard to tell Ghouls from us humans, though. And our ward is usually pretty peaceful. Makes you wonder if something is going on."** Hide chirped thoughtfully. **"Well, enough about that! You free tomorrow?"**

"Perhaps. Why?"

 **"Well, you're just out of the hospital, and I'm thinking we should head to Big Girl to celebrate your release! Whaddya say, Luka-chan?"**

A sigh escaped him. It sounded like a hassle, but he needed to put up this facade... at least until he had a better understanding of what this Luka person was.

It would be risky if he begun to just act like himself...like Lelouch. It would definitely draw suspicion and confusion from those who were close to Luka. So this was the best option he could think of.

"If you insist..."

" **Awesome!** " the blonde cheered over the phone. **"Talk to ya later!"**

The call ended. Lelouch felt a wry smile spread across his face, a certain blue-haired friend in his mind. "I suppose he's the Rivalz of this world then."

Now that he thought about it...this was the first time he's really thought about anyone from his own world. Even through these past two weeks, he never focused on each individual person that he's known.

He figured that present circumstances took higher priority.

' _Nunnally... Kallen... Suzaku...'_ he thought fondly, looking up at the pale gray sky above him. _'Are you all doing alright? Nunnally, are you happy in that world, even if I'm not here with you? Are you looking after her, Suzaku? Kallen... are you enjoying the life you have right now?'_ His mind went to his other friends, the ones who were not aware of his past nor true self as Zero. _'Milly... are you still reporting everything around the world? Are you still trying to get her to like you, Rivalz? Nina... are you doing what Euphie would want you to to?'_

"...I miss them." Lelouch muttered to himself, a small smile on his face. "Even that damned witch."

The image of a green haired woman with butter yellow eyes popped into his mind. The woman who started it all. The woman who bestowed upon him the Power of the Kings. The woman who made it possible for him to carry revenge against Charles zi Britannia.

Truly, none of what he had accomplished, and what he had lost along the way, could have happened were it not for his chance encounter with her. He wondered, briefly, what his life would have been like had he not met her when he did. Perhaps, if he hadn't, he would still be living a lie, watching the world pass by him in discontent.

'. _..All I can do is hope that everything is alright in that world._ ' Lelouch thought. _'For now, I should focus on the present matter at hand... still, why am in someone else's body? And why does this Luka look so much like me? Why was I placed in his body in the first place? And moreover... how did I even get here?'_

So many questions...yet none of them had answers. Lelouch was left to his own devices to figure things out for himself. It was frustrating...but not impossible.

At any rate, he needed to familiarize himself with this new world, and it's history.

"I just hope I can find the damned library."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

It hadn't taken him long to find what he was looking for. The library was full of information, as one would expect, and it ranged from various subjects. Once he found an open computer, he immediately went into the internet, beginning with the history books.

"Unbelievable..." Lelouch muttered, absorbing each line of info with awe and amazement. "So Washington's Rebellion proved successful when Benjamin Franklin refused Britain's offer. That must have been the crucial point in time when the Holy Britannian Empire was founded. The United States of America was founded in it's place... To think that this could have been my world, had things gone differently."

It was certainly shocking. As he had thought, technological advancements were not made with Sakuradite, which did not exist in this world, but rather through accidents and the human imagination. There were still quite a number of problems that occurred, but even still... it was breath-taking. Now he knew how history nuts felt. Knightmare Frames were also not present, but he expected that. They needed a good power source, and it would take more volts of electricity needed to power a city for ten years for it to be operational.

"Humans have certainly come far, haven't they?" he mused before he moved onto the next subject. "Now, what about these Ghouls...?"

He typed up the term into the search engine and was greeted with a multitude of websites that contain answers.

"...What in the hell?" Lelouch blinked rapidly, staring at the results.

 _ **AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE CANNIBALISTIC CREAUTURES CALLED GHOULS**_

 _ **GHOULS! HUMAN OR MONSTER?!**_

 _ **COMMISSION OF COUNTER GHOUL WEBSITE**_

 _ **THE MAN-EATERS KNOWN AS GHOULS**_

 _ **LATEST NEWS ON GHOUL ATTACKS**_

"Cannibalistic...man-eaters...monster...attacks...?! What?!" The violet-eyed teen could not believe his eyes. Everything he found...was about Ghouls and the atrocities they have committed, painting them as vile creatures in humanity's eyes.

They were beings who look and act like human...but there are few differences. One is that they cannot consume human food due to a particular enzyme in their bodies. To them, human food is like a poison and supposedly tastes disgusting. Miso soup like motor oil. Bread like a moldy sponge. Rice like inedible paste. the examples go on. Another difference is the fact is that their eyes change when they attack or go hungry. The sclera turns black while the iris becomes red.

The final difference...kagune.

A Kagune was like a predatory organ that was derived of RC Cells, or Red Child Cells. Rc Cells were found in the body. All living things had them. According to some of the search results, the biology of a Ghoul was similar to that of a human, except they possessed an additional organ called a Kakuho, which was, more or less, a sack that contained Rc Cells.

On average, humans possessed between 200 to 800 RC Cells, and a Ghouls ranged from 1000 to 8000.

However, like any monster or threat or wild animal, there was always a hunter or exterminator to eliminate them.

The CCG.

Also known as Commission of Counter Ghoul. They are an organization tasked with the eradication of these beings. Their system works like law enforcement, but more on the Investigator side, as forensic work and detective skills were needed to find these elusive monsters.

Details were scarce and vague, but it appeared that they were really the only ones capable of handling Ghouls.

"...and here I thought this world was peaceful, minus the terrorists." Lelouch remarked after absorbing the information. "But, monsters that eat humans? You'd think the government would want to keep things like this a secret."

This was all just surreal. He had a difficult time processing all of this, but he couldn't brush off any of it.

It was while he was trying to process this information that he recalled that one specific memory of Luka's. The one where he saw that lavender-haired woman with the red tendrils. Lelouch's eyes widened in horror as it all clicked. The black and red eyes, the demonic appendages... only one thing matched up with that.

The woman was a Ghoul. Rize Kamishiro, Luka's organ donor... was a **_Ghoul_**!

Kanou transplanted _**fucking** _ Ghoul organs into him!

 _'That son of a bitch!'_

In a flare of rage, Lelouch stood from where he sat, his eyes narrowed into a lethal glare that was sharp enough to pierce metal. His fingers were clenched into fists so tight that they threatened to draw blood.

That doctor...knew all along! He intentionally transplanted Ghoul organs into his body like some sort of sick experiment! He was not a guinea pig!

And the bastard had the nerve to smile after all that!

'. _..tch, calm down Lelouch... calm down...'_ he tried to placate himself, his body still shaking in anger, oblivious to the odd looks the other people in the library were giving him. ' _You don't know for sure if there's anything wrong with your body... So far, it's only been a lack of taste...'_

He took a large intake of breath, and let out a calming exhale. The shuddering of anger ceased. Now calm, he sat back back down. _'There has to be more information on Ghouls. Maybe there's even something on them having their organs transplanted into a human... Alright, let's check the CCG website. Given that they're the ones who deal with them, it stands to reason that they know more about them.'_

With that in mind, he began to look up any new sources of information regarding the Ghouls. At first, he merely had a rough idea of what they were, just basic information any common person would know. However, as he continued to look, the information began to become more detailed.

Some sources discussed the types of Kagune a Ghoul could have, the rare Chimera-types who possess two different types of Kagune, and the sense of taste for a Ghoul.

He examined the first piece of information regarding the Kagune. Each Ghoul's Kagune was inheritly unique, and it's shape and power was dependent on their RC Cell Quality, along with the location of the Kakuho. It was commonly found in four areas along the spinal cord: the tailbone, the lower midsection, the upper midsection, and the shoulder blades.

 _'Bikaku - Often a tail-shaped appendage. Medium range of attack. Has no apparent flaws.'_

 _'Koukaku - A heavy, armored appendage that covers the Ghoul's arms. Close quarters combat range. Due it's heavy weight, a massive amount of force is required to maintain it. Given enough time, the weight will begin to wear them down.'_

 _'Rinkaku - Multiple tendrils or tentacles. Attack range varies, but is capable of fighting multiple targets. However, because the appendages are very brittle, they can be destroyed easily.'_

 _'Ukaku - A gaseous-like Kagune, often appearing on the form of wings. Specializes in high speeds and long range attacks. The Kagune is also capable of hardening into a crystal like form, hinting close-quarters combat as well. However, regardless of state, Ghouls burn off RC Cells much more quickly, and will quickly tire out.'_

' _Interesting..._ ' Lelouch thought, taking all of this information into his head. ' _Each Ghoul has one of four different types of Kagune, and each has their own flaws and advantages. From the sound of it, a Bikaku was a standard one, and a common one. It's obviously an all-rounder. Given that Rize had red tendrils from her back, she was obviously an Rinkaku, and according to Nagachika and Kaneki, she was crushed by steel beams... The force alone would be more than enough to destroy them with ease.'_ A hand came to his chin, his eyes narrowed closely. ' _Something's off... steel beams falling right on top of her, and then me receiving her organs... I don't normally believe in coincidences, but... It's like someone planned it.'_

Leaving the subject alone for now, Lelouch moved onto the Ghoul's biology.

They were said to possess more durable bodies. Their skin is said to be just as durable as steel, as well as their bones and muscles. The only weak point that can be damaged by normal means is the eye.

' _Well, all they need now is super strength, heat vision, and the power of flight, and they'll be cannibalistic Supermen_.' Lelouch thought in dry humor. ' _Hm... It seems like their anatomy is more or less the same as that of a normal human's, all except for the Kakuho. Their bone structure is also the same, except it's far more sturdier. Due to an enzyme in their bodies, their sense of taste is fundamentally different. This means that they are unable to consume average human food, finding it to be disgusting while human flesh appears to be the only edible food source, hence why they are labelled as threats to society. They are also prone to devour other Ghouls as well.'_

"Heh, cannibals indeed." he thought aloud. "Still... there has to be more... huh?"

Looking down at the information source, Lelouch saw a name written below the information. ' _Hisashi Ogura...'_ Lelouch read the name. _'According to this information... he, aside from those in the CCG, is the only one who can really understand how a Ghoul's body works. Hm...'_

Lelouch leaned back, folding his arms over his chest with a hand coming to his chin. Obviously, Ogura was the likely main source of information about these creatures, meaning he of all people, aside from those in the CCG, might be able to explain what was happening to him... though he couldn't just exactly tell the man that he had Ghoul organs in his body now. If he were to do that, Ogura might simply brush him off, or report him to the authorities.

And if the latter were to occur, he'd likely be exterminated, labelled a threat, or used as a lab rat. Neither of those sounded appealing.

 _'So, how do I approach him...?'_ Lelouch pondered before a thought came to him. A grin formed along his lips. 'Well, better than nothing.'

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"Sorry for asking you to meet on such short notice, Mr. Ogura."

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's quite alright boy."

Ogura was quite the elderly man. He was well in his fifties, dressed in a dark green suit with a red tie around his neck collar, which was attached to a simple white shirt. He held a bushy mustache atop his lip, while the majority of his hair was pretty disheveled.

"Still, I didn't expect a student to ask me about Ghouls." Ogura said, chuckling somewhat as he took his place in a chair that sat behind a desk. "Sorry, what did you say your name was?"

Lelouch put on a fake smile. "Luka, sir. Luka Mezame. I'm a student at Kamii University." ' _Or at least, Luka is.'_ he thought shrewdly. "You see, one of my professors had given us an assignment, and sadly, it's on Ghouls. Going to a library really doesn't have much information, so I thought, why not ask someone who knows about them?"

"Well, I'm flattered you'd think so of me, but really, I'm not anyone special." the man stated. "If you really wanted to ask about the anatomy of a Ghoul, you'd probably want to ask someone from the CCG. Then again, they're pretty tight-lipped about that sort of stuff." Ogura shrugged his shoulders as he folded his hands into a ball, leaning forward. "So, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, fair warning, a few of my questions might seem like odd ones, or maybe stuff in science fiction."

"Oh?"

"Well, I suppose I'll be blunt. Would it be possible for a human to become a Ghoul through abnormal means? Like, infusing them with blood, sewing on body parts, or placing organs in their bodies?"

"...Hm...That is an interesting theory. To be honest, I don't believe I have a solid answer myself. But based on what I know, Ghoul Anatomy is barely different than Human anatomy. SO the possibility is out there, but I don't think it would be likely for such a phenomenon to occur."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well you see...the level of RC cells a Ghoul has is above the normal amount for humans. If a person were to become infused with an exceeding amount of these cells, then there is a fair chance that fatal abnormalities could take place due to the body rejecting the transfusion."

"So physical deformities or mental degradation?" Lelouch inquired. Ogura nodded. "So, say such a thing were to occur... what sort of changes would there be to them? Theoretically speaking, of course."

"Another good point, but I'm afraid I wouldn't know. Their sense of taste would possibly change, but it wouldn't change the fact that they need to consume RC cells. Simply eating human food won't cut it."

"I see..."

'So far, so good.' the black-haired teen thought. 'Even if it is nothing but speculation, it will definitely help me figure out what's happened to me.'

"Actually, now that you bring this up, I have heard quite a little interesting rumor," Ogura spoke up. "Though I doubt it's of any use."

"If it helps me get a good grade."

"Well..." Ogura leaned back, digging into the recess of his mind as he dug up this information, a hand at his chin. "Supposedly, there exists a special type of Ghoul. Not a Chimera, where they possess two different types of Kagune, mind you, but rather, something that makes them unique."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Unique?"

The man nodded. "You are aware that Ghouls possess a Kakugan, where their eyes shift colors, yes?" The violet-eyed teen nodded. "From what I've heard, this unique Ghoul possesses only a single Kakugan."

"Really now...?" Lelouch's eyes widened in genuine surprise.

"Yes. Although, I am not sure that such a thing is true. But supposedly, only one of their eyes is capable of shifting while the other remains white.

"And why is that?" he asked, now genuinly curious.

"Well, from what I hear, supposedly..." Ogura leaned forward. "These Ghouls are half-human."

Shock overcame him. Half-human? It was actually possible for a hybrid between the two to exist?! "H-Half human?"

"Yes. They're known as One-Eyed Ghouls for that exact reason. Unfortunately, there is still a lot we don't know about Ghouls. We aren't sure if it's entirely possible for them to actually impregnate a human woman, or to have their eggs fertilized with human sperm. Although, if they truly do exist, then perhaps they have things that separate them. A stronger prowess, higher intelligence perhaps, or even an altered genetic makeup... possibly even the ability to consume human food without experiencing that terrible taste."

' _I see_...' Lelouch thought deeply. _'A hybrid between human and Ghoul... I wonder if humans who were given Ghoul organs count as artificial Ghouls... That is, assuming what I've learned so far can actually make one into a monster.'_

"One last question, Mr. Ogura... Going back to my first one, if it's possible for a human to become a Ghoul simply by implanting an organ, which one would best serve as the catalyst?"

"Hm... That would likely be the Kakuho."

"Eh?" This was where Lelouch expressed confusion. The kakuho? But, the organ was exclusive to Ghouls. Surely it couldn't be compatable with a human being. He said as much to Ogura.

"Actually, the Kakuho vastly resembles the kidney organ." Ogura explained to him. "It would take someone who is very experienced in the human anatomy, or someone who understands the Ghoul biology well enough to distinguish a kidney from a Kakuho."

"Is...is that so..." Lelouch repeated, his mind drawing forth the image of the Doctor who performed his transplant surgery. ' _So that's it...He must've implanted that Kakuho into me while the others thought he was transplanting kidneys!'_

It was ingenious of him... that fact raised a large question: who was Kanou in the first place? How would he have known about Rize being a Ghoul?

' _Is he related to the CCG?_ ' he thought deeply. ' _If so, it explains how he would have discovered that Rize is a Ghoul._ '

 _'But even then...why would he even do this? the CCG exists to exterminate the Ghouls...so it wouldn't make sense for one of their own to just be going around creating Ghouls.'_

Once again, more questioned were raised... and still he had no answers.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Luka's memories certainly proved useful to find his home. The apartment was rather modest with average housing, and a fully stocked fridge. He turned out to be quite the bookworm though, having various works of literature, ranging from classical works such as Charles Dickens and Shakespeare to even novels or works that Lelouch had never heard of, such as Montesquieu and Locke. There was even a great number of books written by a man named Edgar Allen Poe, though the more recent ones were written by someone named Sen Takatsuki.

"Quite the bookworm, Luka." Lelouch muttered as he took a tour around the apartment. "Hm, seems decent enough. Nothing really out of the ordinary." He stepped inside the apparent living room. On the table were various books, mostly relating to the subjects of Science, Mathematics, World History, and other languages. "And an honor student too. Heh, sort of reminds me of myself."

He stopped at the nightstand that stood in the corridor, which connected the main room to the bathroom and the front door. On top of it was a vase with various flowers, obviously to brighten up the room, but it was the photograph that sat next to it that caught his attention.

Lelouch stepped up to it to get a closer look. He took the image in his hands. His breath was suddenly hitched as his eyes grew wide.

"...Nunnally..."

Nunnally...or at least...a girl who looks exactly like her...stood next to him...Yes. _STOOD_! She was standing on her own two feet, her eyes wide open, revealing radiant blue irises to the world. Her light brown hair fell freely in waves, giving off a sheen reflected from the bright sun illuminating them.

The boy next to her bore a striking resemblance to Lelouch, except he had a bright smile on his face, and his hair was slightly longer and more unkempt, much like his own current state. Behind them was a woman with long brown hair that ended just at her chin, a gentle smile so much like Euphie's, her eyes a gentle blue. Next to her was a tall man, his face rugged and marred with dirt, wearing a muscle shirt with no sleeves and shorts, a utility belt with several odds and ends and small tools hanging from it. He was crouched down, one of his eyes set into a wink, while the other revealed the same purple gems as Lelouch. His hand was on the boy's shoulder while grinning from ear to ear.

' _This...must be Luka's family.._.' Lelouch realized. How odd. The girl bore a striking resemblance to Nunnally, while the adults barely had any similarity to...those people.

His hands gingerly brushed up against the glass that kept the frame from becoming stained.

The moment he made contact, however, his head was wrought with pain once again. "Gagh!" he cried out, falling to his knees as his head was bombarded with memories... memories that belonged to the one who he resided in.

Flashes of images flew by. Smiling faces, rings of friends, exciting past times, dreadful exams, happy holidays...they were all there...filling his head with another person's life.

 _'Nii-sama! When are we going to play again?'_

 _'We can play whenever you want, Nanako-chan!'_

"N-Nanako...?!" Lelouch's head continued to throb. Was that the girl's name?

 _'I love you, Nii-sama! One day, I'm going to marry you!'_

 _'Hahahaha! Well, we'll see how that goes when you're older, alright? After all, you're still so young!'_

 _'Mou...~ I'm ten already Nii-sama! And you're eleven! It's not an age difference!'_

 _'And that's still young!'_

The memories were so gentle and warm... it reminded him so much of the days in the Aries Villa and in Ashford, back when he was still only a child, and a mere naive prince.

The memories faded away, though Lelouch was still shell-shocked, still on his knees with one hand on the photograph and the other on the table, his breathing heavy.

Wh-what...was that...?!" He could only mutter in short gasps. Was this...something that Luka was trying to tell him?

' _Just_...' he tried to gather his thoughts, but his body was still shaking from the pain the memories had brought him. ' _Who the hell... are you, Luka_?'

* * *

 **Next Time: Episode 2: The Hunger**

* * *

 ** _Well, as you can see, this greatly differs from my usual writing style, and a vast difference to the original, as in Requiem for a Demon, Lelouch was Kaneki's adopted older brother, rather than his best friend. Anyway, Code-Emperor07 has kindly helped me out writing this. I owe him greatly for it. You might know him from his other stories, such as Fractured Existence, Cray's Last Hope, Resurrected Trials, and Crimson Dragon.  
_**

 ** _At any rate, this episode covered Lelouch's experience in a new body that is definitely not his own, and trying to figure out more on his situation. Next time, it's for his first, real look at the world he now lives in. Also, there will be a spin-off to this particular story, which relates to the trailer episode that I published as the first chapter of this story. Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Painted Bloody Red, will follow Lelouch in his path as a member of Aogiri, meaning he's gonna be one scary motherfucker, while Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black, will follow Lelouch as he tries to bridge the gap between humans and Ghouls, as one who lives in both worlds._**

 ** _How will he do this, you ask? Hmhmhm... One word: Zero._**

 ** _That's all for now! Tell me your thoughts in the reviews below! Did you like the reboot? Did you hate it? Did you like Requiem for a Demon more? You all have a wonderful day or night, wherever you live!_**

 ** _Demons Anarchy of Pride, out!_**


	3. Episode 2: The Hunger

**東京グール：花色よりも暗いブラック/** **Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black  
**

 _"I've put down some crazy Ghouls in my lifetime, but you? You've gotta be the craziest of them all." -Special Class Investigator Shinohara  
_

* * *

 _Episode 2: The Hunger  
_

* * *

Lelouch stared at his fridge, his face slightly pale, and dark bags under his eyes. "...dammit, I did clean it out."

His stomach grumble at the mere prospect of food, causing him to grimace as he closed the fridge, palming his face and sighing. "There's nothing here to eat, and I don't have enough money to go out and eat..." he muttered. "What do I do?"

As he thought about this dilemma, he suddenly recalled his conversation with Hide. "...oh yeah, that's right." he remembered. "I'm supposed to meet him over by Sunshine 60. After that, it's that Big Girl place..." Drool slightly fell from his lips, causing him to wipe it away. "Gah, dammit... I'm so hungry I could eat a damned horse."

After deciding what to do for now, Lelouch left the apartment and went to meet up with Hide. He would have to find a job and get food later. His stomach was just killing him!

Although, moving away from his hunger, he recalled the little incident that occurred last night. _'Those were definitely Luka's memories...'_ the violet-eyed teen thought, remembering that this body did not truly belong to him. _'Even now, there are still some memories that are missing... And all of them are centered around that girl, Nanako.'_ Lelouch frowned. _'Why are those memories missing? What exactly could have happened? More importantly... why does Luka's life seem to mirror mine, except with everything that's ever happened in my life?'_

These questions continued to plague him. There was so much he didn't understand and there was too little to go off on to find answers. Just who was Luka? Where was his family? And why were they so similar?

Frustrated, Lelouch ran a hand through his hair, sighing. As the way things stood, nothing made sense.

All he really knew was that his parents were dead... but what of his sister, Nanako? Where was she?

Lelouch was frustrated by the lack of information. Given his previous role as one who used information to control the flow of battle, he hated being left in the dark.

...oh well. All he could now was simply wait, and try to adjust. He would have plenty of time to find out more about Luka another day. For now, he had to satiate this beast called a stomach!

Normal food still didn't work for him, as he had found out in the hospital. And he doubted it was because the food from that place was below substandard. It was more like he couldn't digest it properly!

It didn't matter what it was. There was absolutely no taste to it at all. It was like eating chewed up gum, really.

He blamed it on Kanou when he realized why he was like this.

He had his suspicions before, but after speaking with the Ghoul Expert before, his beliefs were solidified.

Kanou had implanted a Ghoul's organs, a Ghoul's Kakuhou, into his body, forcing it to go through drastic changes.

Lelouch held nothing but contempt for the man. He reminded him of all the scum back in his own world.

 _'Still, though...'_ Lelouch thought as he entered the train that led straight to Ikebukuro. _'According to the information I read online, a Ghoul's sense of taste is horrible, unable to properly taste human food such as miso soup or tofu. The only thing they can eat is human flesh... and yet I can ingest human food just fine.'_

It was strange...very strange...Since he had Ghoul organs, he shouldn't be able to consume human food. Yet he was able to, despite it tasting like nothing. How could this be?

 _'...well, then again, this might work to my advantage, in case I meet an Investigator.'_

If by chance he ran into an Investigator, he could prove to them that He is not a Ghoul by consuming human food without so much as cringing. At least there was a loophole he could exploit.

Actually... could he even really be considered a Ghoul? So far, he hadn't showed any signs that they would. His eyes remained normal, and he felt relatively healthy... well, except for his stomach.

Gah, he could already smell the food in the air... Aah, that sweet smell of blood was so enticing, he could practically taste it-!

Wait... blood?

That was when he literally slapped himself in the face. He couldn't believe he just thought blood to be a delicious delicacy. But he was reassured by one thing: He relished in the stench of blood. That was one of the signs that indicated his nature as a Ghoul.

He looked off to the side, seeing a young child nursing a small cut on her finger. An older woman, likely her mother, was fixing it up with a small bandage. Lelouch gulped, seeing the red liquid slowly falling from her finger. He realized that he was drooling and quickly wiped away the saliva, holding his mouth.

 _'No! Snap out of it! Stay in control! Don't let your hunger overrule you!'_ He yelled at himself mentally. He couldn't lose control now. He just couldn't. He needed to hold out until he could get a proper meal. He had to get away, before the child's blood convinced him to eat her.

As soon as the train doors opened, Lelouch hustled out of there, wanting to get as far away from the smell of blood as quickly as possible.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Tatara had to admit, he was quite impressed with what he was seeing. "It would appear that Dr. Kanou's experiments succeeded..."

The white haired Ghoul stood atop the roof of a tall building, observing the movements of the violet eyes young man.

"Yes indeed. He's a cute little boy, isn't he?" The bandaged girl next to him agreed.

She was relatively short in stature, barely surpassing his waist, dressed entirely in bandages while wearing a purple coat that held no sleeves, and the hood had what could only be described as bunny ears. Her eyes remained relatively darkened, but they showed glimmers of amusement and intrigue.

"That's a surprise," Tatara noted. "You usually don't take an interest in people, much less call them 'cute'."

"Aw, your no fun, Tatara-san..." Eto pouted cutely before giggling. "Besides, why wouldn't I be interested? From what I heard... he can't taste anything, can he?"

"No, he can't." the red-masked man nodded in confirmation. "In a way, it creates quite the illusive disguise. He'd be able to fool any Investigator with ease... though whether or not he'll taste flesh is another story."

"Should we test it?"

"No, I don't think that will be necessary." he shook his head. "He looks like he's on the verge of starving, after all..."

He did not miss the look of panic on the boy's face. His eyes had shown desperation, the look of a man starving. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

"So...it will be a matter of time before he caves, huh?" The girl thought before giggling. "Hehe~ I can't wait to see it~"

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-  
**

"Dude, what took you so long?!" Hide complained as Lelouch approached them. "Seriously! Kaneki almost dragged me to the freaking bookstore just to pass the time!" The blonde sighed, turning to his friend. "Look, Kaneki, dude... I get that your in love with books, but I do not swing that way man."

"Wh-what? N-no! That's not what I meant!" The timid boy shook his head rapidly in a panic.

"Haha...Dude, calm down. I'm just messing with you."

Lelouch could only sigh at their antics, inwardly trying to suppress his own hunger. Hopefully this beast would quell soon once he had some steak. Just the thought was enough to nearly make his stomach growl.

It wasn't human flesh, but at least it was meat. Maybe the taste of undercooked beef will satisfy his hunger.

"Well, come on!" Hide grinned. "Let's get our steak on!"

"Y-Yeah!" Kaneki agreed. He loved steak as well.

"Let's go, already, I'm starving." Lelouch spoke hurriedly. It wasn't a lie. It was as if his stomach was eating itself.

Finally, they made their way to the restaurant. When they entered, the smell of sizzling beef filled their nostrils.

"Aah, that smells good!" Hide said happily. "And the girls are just as cute as ever!"

Lelouch sighed, face-palming. "Nagachika, I swear..."

"Oh, come on, Luka-chan! You got to admit, they're all pretty hot! So!" the youth went around him, a lecherous grin on his face. "Which one's your type?"

Lelouch scowled at his friend's behavior. But he couldn't help but reminded of Rivalz. They were practically similar, except in different aspects. Hide was obviously more outgoing, boisterous, in contrast to Rivalz, who tagged along with him like some sort of sidekick, watching him as he kicked the crap out of nobles left and right.

A frown fell upon his face.

...He wondered how Rivalz was doing right now, along with everyone else...

"A-ano, Mezame-san?" Kaneki called out to him. "You're... doing it again."

"H-huh...? Doing what?" Lelouch questioned him.

"The frowning thing."

"...oh."

"Is there something wrong?" Hide asked him.

"...No...nothing is wrong..." Lelouch shook his head.

"Are you sure? You seem pretty spacey lately."

"Yes, I'm sure." he snapped. "Look, can we just order something already? I'm hungry."

Hide didn't look convinced, but shrugged as he found them a spot in the diner, and then asked for some menus. It wasn't long before they made their orders.

 _'...I need to be careful around them.'_ Lelouch thought. _'They're supposedly Luka's friends, which means they obviously know him better than anyone. Still, from the sound of things, his personality doesn't seem to stray much from my own, if his memories are anything to go by. Even so, I need to make sure that they don't find out about what happened to me...'_ He frowned. Could he even really call this his body? It was someone else's, someone who led a normal life compared to him, and had loving parents. Hell, even his sister was walking, while Nunnally was still confined to a wheel chair. 'Why am I even thinking about this in the first place?'

Lelouch placed a hand to his head, deep in thought. He had been thinking about this quite often since he woke up in Luka's body. Why wouldn't he? His situation was beyond bizarre. He should've died when Suzaku, as Zero, stabbed him through the heart.

The only thing that made sense was Geass, but... who? Or what? Did it have something to do with C's World? Or... maybe, this whole situation, becoming something close to a Ghoul...

Perhaps it was his punishment.

The punishment of losing his humanity...the punishment of becoming a complete monster, the very being that he is. How fitting for him...to be a monster for the rest of his existence...

A wry smile made it's way to his face. _'Talk about karma...'_

"Alright, here's your order, sirs~"

A waitress sang as she placed their plates on the table. They each ordered large pieces of steak, each weighing 16 oz.

"Yosh!" the blonde grinned widely. "Damn that looks good!" If the salivating look on Kaneki's face was any indication, it was clear that he also seemed to agree. Lelouch simply gulped down the lump in his throat. Would he even be able to eat this, much less taste anything? "Alright, time to dig in~"

They each cut a piece of their steak and bit into it. Both Kaneki and Hide had looks of bliss from the savory flavor.

Lelouch on the other hand...only tasted chewed up gum.

 _'I figured as much...'_ he thought in distaste. _'Oh well... least it's edible.'_

He wasn't spitting out the piece of beef like most Ghouls would, so that's a plus. Shrugging, he chewed and swallowed the piece of meat. It did little to satisfy his hunger, however.

"Hot!" Hide fanned his mouth, steam flowing out from the hole. "H-holy crap it's hot!"

"That's what you get for trying to wolf it down, Hide." Kaneki sighed, shaking his head as he looked to Lelouch. "How about you, Mezame-san? Yours any good?"

"Yeah," he lied. "Tastes great."

"I know, right?" Hide grinned. "this place has the best steak in the 20th ward. I seriously love coming here!"

"Yeah, but lately, there's been a lot of trouble, hasn't there?" the shy boy said. "I mean, there's been a few Ghoul attacks, hasn't there?"

Lelouch's ears perked up upon hearing that. So Ghoul attacks have been occurring more recently?

"Yeah, I guess...but c'mon. The 20th ward is supposed to have the least amount of Ghoul activity."

"Yeah, but... just think about it." Kaneki frowned. "I mean, we've always had some crazy stuff happening here. There was Mezame-san and the steel beam accident, and before that, there was that whole talk about someone called the Gourmet, right?"

 _'Gourmet?'_

"Oh, come on, quit being such a worry wart!" Hide waved him off. "That guy's been quiet for a long while, so I doubt he'll actually show his face. I mean, I heard there are some Investigators here, right?"

"Well...yeah, but..."

"Dude, don't worry about it." Hide placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know the CCG will protect us. We'll be just fine!"

"I really wonder about that..." Lelouch muttered. "With all the widespread information, you'd think that they're more focused on completely getting rid of Ghouls than protecting humans. Almost like exterminators."

"Well...yeah, probably..."

"Then that would make Ghouls the vermin, huh?" Lelouch chuckled morbidly. "Still, though, when you think about it, why would the government allow knowledge of these kind of things to be leaked? I mean, it's not the kinda thing you'd want people to know about, right?"

"Mezame-san has a point." Kaneki pointed out. "Where did they even come from?"

"And I say, who cares?" Hide shrugged. "All I know is that Ghouls are pretty interesting. Say, what do you think they look like?!"

"Probably human, like us." the violet-eyed teen replied, smirking knowingly all the while. "They'd have to be to blend in with society."

"Oh, that's a good point. That way, they are like hunters stalking us on the streets." Hide made creeping hand motions to emphasize his point.

"Yeah. That way, it would be more difficult to pick them out in a crowd."

"So..." Hide chuckled. "If you met hot Ghoul, Kaneki, would ya wanna get eaten by her?" Naturally, the question completely took her off guard, his face becoming deep red. "Ah, to be inside of her... Gotta admit, some guys have some weird fetishes."

Lelouch sighed. "Nagachika, do you have any idea how wrong that sounds?"

"Oh, come on! You know it was a good joke!"

"The day that happens is the day when Hell freezes over."

"Hey! I resent that remark!"

"Then learn to actually make decent jokes. That one was just stupid."

"You suck, Luka-chan!" Hide whined, mocking tears. Lelouch shook his head as he got up. "Where you going?"

"Bathroom." he replied. "Unless you want to go for me?"

"You're an asshole somedays, you know that?" the blonde said. Lelouch didn't reply, instead moving to the bathroom.

When he made it past the door, he immediately locked it and turned the faucet on.

'Dammit, even after eating that steak, I'm still so damned hungry." Lelouch growled, slightly agitated from how hungry he was as he washed his hands. "And I still didn't taste a thing."

Even with all the spices and seasoning sprinkled all over the cooked slab of beef, his taste buds were dull to any sensation.

He still tasted nothing! He was still starving!.

"This hunger is driving me insane..." he muttered, clutching his face. "Dammit... what the hell do I do...? At this rate... I just might end up attacking those two..."

 _ **"Hmhmhm... That'd be fun to see, wouldn't you agree, Lelouch-kun~?"**_

The violet-eyed teen's eyes widened, looking up at the mirror in front of him. Behind him was...

"...R-Rize... Kamishiro...?!"

 _ **"Bingo~ I'm glad you didn't forget about little old me..."**_ The woman wrapped her arms around his shoulders, speaking in a sultry manner.

Lelouch was too shocked to say anything. He could hardly forget this woman, seeing as how she had nearly killed Luka before he found himself in his body. She still looked the same... the long purple hair that fell past her shoulders, the same cold yet beautiful lavender eyes... and that same damned cold grin.

"H-how...?"

Her face closely neared his, still bearing that annoying smile of amusement. **_"So, tell me..."_** Rize breathed, her hot breath tickling his skin. **_"How does it feel being a real demon now? Does it make you excited? Does it get your blood pumping?"_**

"H-how..." he gaped. "How... do you know about that?!"

 ** _"Hmhmhm...~"_** Rize giggled as she shifted sides. **_"I just decided to take a little peek at your head, seeing as how that's where I am. I must say, I'm impressed."_** Her grin wreaked of madness. **_"You're worse than any Ghoul could ever hope to be, and coming from someone who eats more than your average Ghoul... that's a compliment~"_**

"Funny...to me, it sounds like you are mocking me..." Lelouch scowled, fully aware of the sins of his past.

 _ **"Mou...that is only what you see..."**_

"Oh? And pray tell, what does a glutton like you see?" he asked, repressing his anger.

 ** _"What I see?"_** Rize giggled again. **_"I see... a demon. One who's paying for what he's done, though I really wonder if you did all those things just for that little cripple."_**

Something in him suddenly felt annoyed... irritated, almost. "...what the hell are you talking about?" he asked, his hands gripping the sides of the sink.

 ** _"I think..."_** Her eyes changed. Her sclera became overcome with utter darkness, and the purple eyes became a bloody shade of red. **_"That you didn't give a damn for your sister, or anyone else for that matter."_**

Lelouch's eyes widened briefly before his face contorted in rage. "Shut up! That's a lie!"

 _ **"Oh?"**_ she grinned wickedly. _**"Are you so sure? Can you honestly say you didn't wage a war because it was for your precious little sister?"**_

"Shut up!"

 ** _"You claimed that you wanted to make a peaceful world for her...but weren't you really just satiating your own desires...?"_**

"Dammit! I said SHUT UP!"

 _ **"Hahahaha!**_ " Rize reeled back, laughing. _**"Your showing off your true colors, Lelouch-kun!"**_

The violet-eyed teen saw his own reflection in the mirror, and his eyes widened in horror.

His left eye... was now just like hers.

What was once white sclera was consumed by deep darkness. His violet iris violently turned into a bloody red dot.

"N-no...!" he stared back at himself in horror. _"NO_!"

He slammed his fist into the mirror, causing it to shatter. The shards flew outward, some grazing his skin. His fist remained planted in the wall, having created a small crack in the shape of his hand. Sweat caked his face, his breathing heavy. Small droplets of blood fell form his hand.

Rize had all but vanished, leaving him alone in the room.

His breathing was rapid and heavy. His eyes were still open wide. His face had broken out in a cold sweat.

His entire body trembled. "Y-your wrong..." he muttered. "Your wrong... I... I wasn't...!"

He continued to deny it...even as it stared back at him right in the face...

He didn't want to believe it... he didn't want to believe it! That woman, she... she was wrong! Everything he did... all those lives, even his own... it was all for Nunnally!

"...Nunnally..." He whispered, barely audible. His voice was close to cracking.

Why... why was this happening to him?!

Lelouch leaned forward against the shattered mirror in an attempt to support himself. He...he really is a monster now...

"Nunnally..." he whispered. He tried to calm himself down, trying to picture his sister in his head. Her gentle smile, her warm embrace... everything he remembered about her. Slowly, the shaking began to calm down, and his breathing became even. _'She's wrong...'_ he thought to himself. _'I... I didn't do the Zero Requiem because it was for my own benefit... it was for Nunnally... and everyone else!'_

He tried to reassure himself. He remembered all that has happened. Who he did all of that for. It wasn't for self satisfaction...it was for a genuine purpose!

There was no way he did all of that for himself! Nunnally, she... she meant everything to him! What would that damned woman know?! She was the real monster here! She devoured not for the sake of living! She devoured for pleasure! What would a monster like that know anything about him?!

"You will...never understand me...bitch!" Lelouch scowled in malice. He removed his fist from the broken mirror, tiny bits of shards were embedded into his hand. But he didn't register the pain in his wrath.

He inhaled a large amount of air before calmly exhaling, his anger subsiding, fading only to resentment. "This hunger is driving me up the wall more than I thought..." Lelouch muttered to himself as he stared at the shattered mirror. "I better find a way to quell it, otherwise I'll end up seeing that woman everywhere."

That said, he left the bathroom, and quickly joined with Hide and Kaneki, the two unaware of what had just transpired.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black  
**

Kanou was ecstatic. No, more than that... he was absolutely thrilled.

"Amazing..." he breathed as he looked over the information at his clipboard. "No deformities present... Pulse stayed the same through out the operation, no signs of any health decline... Blood pressure remained stable, and his RC Cell count was within expected parameters... And yet, his sense of taste was dull..." A grin broke out across his face. "Incredible...!"

The mad doctor was grinning. Luka Mezame was by far his most successful experiment. Unlike his previous failures, he is demonstrating excellent results.

The boy was truly one of a kind, his prized pupil of sorts one could say. He was a masterpiece, whereas his other projects were... lacking, kindly put. They all showed signs of rejection from the kakuho, which he had overall expected. After all, this was the organ of a Ghoul being transplanted into the body of a human, two entirely different existences. How could one expect it to adapt to a new host?

In the end, out of the 47 experiments, after Luka, he had two promising candidates: Kurona and Nashiro Yasuhisa. They had recently undergone the operation, and so far, showed no signs of rejection. That being said, however, he needed to carefully monitor them. After all, there were delayed signs of it, albeit small ones, but still incredibly noteworthy. If only he knew how to increase the chances of success.

From what he gathered, from the overall 93 experiments, including Luka and the Yasuhisa twins, the success rate was below 2%.

Even though it was a low success rate, he would be able to discover why those select few were compatible with a Kakuho.

He would be able to refine his procedure to make it easier to create artificial one-eyed Ghouls.

"For now, let's see how things proceed..." Kanou mumbled to himself. "After all, we've yet to see his physical capabilities, nor his proficiency with Rize's Kagune." A thought occurred to him, placing a hand to his chin. "Hm... I wonder, what would Eto think of this boy?"

He realized that the One Eyed Owl may take an interest in Luka, considering he is a One-Eyed Ghoul like her, albeit artificial.

Luka was special... and not simply because he was an artificial Ghoul, his first success at that, but also in regards to his own life story.

He had been living on his own for years now...ever since his family was killed in a Ghoul attack. His parents were confirmed to be dead, but his younger sister, Nanako, is still missing to this day.

In a way, his life story was almost like an exact mirror to Eto's. While he did not know much, he knew that her mother was killed by a Ghoul, and then left behind in the 24th Ward... or rather, as the Ghoul's called it, "Hell." Betrayal, cannibalism, death, wars, truly it was the place where only the strong would come out, baring incredible power. That was why she was the One-Eyed Owl, after all... the strongest Ghoul known to this day.

It was because of those experiences that Eto was a cruel, cold, and bloodthirsty Ghoul.

Although...one would thinking that if Kuzen actually kept her instead of abandoing her, where she would be right now.

"Either way..." the doctor said aloud in amusement, leaning back in his seat. "Things should be interesting. I wonder how far you will go... Luka-kun."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-  
**

Kamii University was quite a sight to behold.

The campus itself covered a area of several thousand square feet, with many grand buildings erected. The roads were paved with square cobblestones. Random students were all over, chatting amongst themselves, or rushing to get to their next class.

"And here I thought Ashford was large..." Lelouch muttered as he leaned back in his desk. "And the subjects are quite a refreshing change of pace over the Britannian tripe."

Class had ended only recently, having reached the campus after eating at Big Girl in a hurry. Earlier, he was sitting in Social Science, learning about Japan's past encounters with the United States, which took Britannia's place as one of the largest global powers.

He was interested in this newly acquired information. His previous suspicions were confirmed. The Empire of Britannia does not exist. Or rather, it never existed. All that was in its place was the United States of America, which was built after several centuries of hard work, trial and error, and democracy.

"Democracy..." he couldn't help but chuckle. "The best form of government."

"And what's that supposed to mean, Mezame?"

Lelouch jumped, not expecting anyone to hear him as he looked over his shoulder. Behind him was a young man around the same age as him with messy, kept brown hair with a slightly toned build, dressed in a simple pale shirt and white khaki slacks, and a simple glasses sat atop the bridge of his nose.

"W-what?"

"I'm asking why you thought democracy was the best type of government." the man answered, pushing up his glasses. "If you ask me, it's the stupidest government you can think of."

"Mou...~" another voice said from behind the young. "Nishiki-kun! Would you not pick up Luka-kun?!"

"I wasn't picking on him, Kimi."

The man named Nishiki said to the woman next to him. She appeared to have been the same age as the two. She had short, brown hair with a tuft tucked behind her left ear. She was dressed in a light, pink cardigan and red pants.

 _'Ah, crap!'_ Lelouch inwardly panicked. _'Don't tell me that these are more of Luka's friends?!'_

He was unaware that Luka even had more friends aside from Hide and Kaneki. He knew little to nothing regarding these two strangers.

"Oi...what's that look on your face for? Don't you recognize us?" Nishiki questioned him.

"Er, s-sorry..." Lelouch said nervously, scratching his cheek. "You just... surprised me is all...?"

Nishiki frowned, obviously suspicious. He was about to call him out on it before Kimi elbowed him in the ribs. "O-ow!"

"Lay off, Nishiki-kun!" she scolded him lightly. "He's probably still trying to recover! He did just get out of the hospital!"

Lelouch glanced to the girl, silently grateful for the save. He decided to play along...fast!

"Y-yeah...that's right. My stay at the hospital was...not as pleasant as I liked. The pain killers could only help for so long..."

"Well, won't deny that." Nishiki shrugged his shoulders, though he still looked slightly suspicious. "Hospitals are a crappy place to be held up at. Hell, just as Kimi when she decided to go and break her arm."

"Hey, that was an accident!"

"you should've been watching where you were going. You're just lucky you didn't get hit by that car." he scolded her lightly.

"Your so mean!" Kimi whined playfully before turning to Lelouch. "Luka-kun, don't you think Nishiki-kun is being a meanie?!"

"W-why are you asking me?!"

"aren't you one of our friends? Surely you will agree with me, right?"

"Er..."

'Dammit all, I can barely read these people!' Lelouch scowled inwardly. _'Dammit, Luka, how'd the hell did you-nrgh?!'_

He cringed in pain as he held his head.

 _'Hey, you're the new kid, right? Luka Mezame-kun?'_

 _'...what do you want?'_

 _'My name's Kimi! And this is my boyfriend, Nishiki-kun!'_

 _'O-oi, don't tell everybody you meet that!'_

 _'Heehee~ Your so cute, Nishiki-kun!'_

 _'And your talking to me... why?'_

 _'Well, because... you looked so lonely.'_

 _'No, I'm not. Just leave me alone. I already have to deal with Nagachika.'_

 _'You say that, but you look like a corpse.'_

 _'...whatever.'_

 _'Oi, Mezame... you know that coffee shop in the 20th Ward? Anteiku?'_

 _'...yeah, I know it. Why?'_

 _'You... wanna go grab a bite to eat?'_

 _'Teehee~ Nishiki-kun, your a big old softie, aren't you?'_

 _'S-shut up!'_

 _'...heh.'_

"...he only says that because he loves you." Lelouch finally said after the pain subsided. "After all, he's a big old softie."

"No I'm not! Shut up, Mezame!" Nishiki denied.

"What?" he shrugged, silently thanking Luka, if he was responsible for these recent headaches, for these memories. "It's the truth, Nishio."

"Tch," the man scowled as he turned away, embarrassed. "Dumbass...!"

"Like I said, I was only stating the truth."

"Hmhmhm~" Kimi giggled. "There you go, Luka-kun! That's the face that you should have!"

"Really...?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow. So this was how Luka really acted?

"Mmhm!"

He decided to shrug his shoulders before asking something, "So, why are you two here?"

"We wanted to ask if you had any plans today," Kimi told him. "Nishiki-kun and I are heading out. Did you want to come with us?"

Lelouch thought about this briefly. If he went with them...then maybe he would find more about Luka. Deciding to take up the possible benefits, he nodded in acceptance.

"Alright," Nishiki nodded. "After school?"

"If Nagachika doesn't decide to be annoying."

"Good luck with that! I can't even think of a time when he isn't!" Nishiki chuckled.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"ACHOO!"

"Whoa, you okay, Hide?" Kaneki asked. "Are you catching a cold?"

"No...I don't think so...Why do I get the feeling someone's been talking about me...?" The blonde scratched his head.

"Maybe it was Mezame-san?" Kaneki offered.

"Hm...Yeah. Could be."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Meanwhile, in the 1st Ward, a large building loomed over the region of the area. It was a towering skyscraper, facing the city on all four sides upon the ground where it stood, carrying various floors and facilities, the latter gathered all around it. This was the Commission of Counter Ghoul, better known as the CCG. This was the organization created by the Wasshu Family, which had only a singular goal in mind:

The eradication of all Ghouls.

Ghouls were monsters. They were parasites who fed upon the living of society. They are vermin that must be put down to save humanity. That is what the Wasshu Family perceived and taught others.

The Ghoul Investigators, dubbed Doves by Ghouls due to the CCG emblem, were made up completely of humans, armed with weapons meant to defeat, and eradicate Ghouls. Here, they were divided into different ranks: Rank 3 which all newcomers started off as, Rank 2 who were regarded as experienced soldiers, and Rank 1, who are considered to be veterans. Above them are the Top-Class, considered the strongest and the brightest of the Organization. Typically, Investigators of Rank 2 or 3 are paired with Top-Class Investigators. Above them are the Associate-Special Class, which are considered to be truly gifted, special individuals who have earned outstanding achievements, or eliminated powerful Ghouls.

And then... there were the Special-Class Investigators.

They were Investigators who are the highest rank an Investigator can obtain. They are very few in number, being counted by the hand. They surpass the Associate-Special Class as they each have unique capabilities.

However, among their numbers is the undefeated Investigator in the entire organization. The Reaper of CCG, Arima Kishou.

Even among his colleagues, he was considered to be one of the most talented, and powerful agent. To this day, not even so much as a single Ghoul had ever touched him.

Highly respected, awed, and envied, many have strived to surpass him. Among the former was Rank 1 Investigator Koutarou Amon.

He was another promising Investigator filled with potential. He had achieved the rank of first class within a few short years. He is actually one of the youngest to achieve the First Class Rank.

He was quite young for his age, well-toned and built, having taken his job as a Ghoul Investigator quite seriously. Every day, he trained hard to the point where it felt as if his limbs were being torn apart, and wielded his weapon relentlessly for the day he would face a Ghoul at some point. Being a full head taller than his superior, he possessed short black hair and sharp blue eyes, a silver briefcase in hand.

"Sir, if I may ask..." Amon asked the man to his left. In contrast to Amon, he was an older man with pale messy hair, his back hunched forward. An eerie, wrinkled expression was carved into his face, though one eye was wider than the other. "Why are being deployed to the 20th Ward? As I understand it, isn't Investigator Shinohara stationed there?"

"He was, up until recently." Kureo Mado, a Top-Class Investigator, informed him with a grin. "But recently, there's been some Ghoul activity on the rise, which is quite odd, given how quiet that ward usually is. The Gourmet's been getting active lately, and there's even talk that the Binge Eater has set up shop there."

"So you mean to say that based on their appearances...more commotion is sure to follow?"

"Precisely, my boy." The elder man chuckled. "I can see you are now relying on your gut instincts..."

"It was you who taught me that, sir."

"Well, I suppose I did a pretty bang up job, then." Mado grinned. "At any rate, I'm rather curious to see how things are progressing over there. It's been ten years since I've last visited the 20th Ward... Heh, should be fun."

"I'm more curious as to why so many high rated ghouls have become active recently."

"Who knows, Amon-kun?" the man shrugged. "At any rate, let's get going."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Nishiki wasn't sure Luka was... Luka, anymore.

He didn't know how to describe it but...it just felt like Luka was a different person.

He had no idea what happened to him after the accident...but he had begun to act strangely...

Before the accident, Luka was pretty much despondant and anti-social, the only exception to his awkward stance being Hideyoshi Nagachika and Ken Kaneki.

Eventually, he opened up to himself and Kimi about a couple years ago. Originally, he perceived Luka to be some moody human that could be used as a snack later down the road. But after getting to know him better...he actually began to see him as a true friend. He became the only other human he liked aside from Kimi.

Of course, he was also able to relate to him. Luka's parents had been killed by Ghouls, hence why Nishiki had tried to avoid being found out by him whenever he could, unlike Kimi, who was already made aware of his existence as a Ghoul. But that wasn't why they were alike. It was because Luka had lost his sister too.

Nishiki had lost his own sister at the hands of humans, which was why he held no love for them. She was ratted out by a human. The person who snitched on her was the boss of her last workplace.

Even now...he could still feel the falling rain washing away her spilled blood as she died in his arms...

In Luka's case, however, it was much worse...

Whereas he was able to say goodbye, Luka was never able to. But the problem wasn't that she was dead... it was that he had no idea where she was.

She had been missing since the day of the Ghoul attack.

Luka had been rendered unconscious during the commotion. When he came to, he was greeted by the sight of both of his parents dead, completely bisected and chewed up. He wailed in despair. He tried to seek out his sister. He looked everywhere...but she was nowhere to be found.

It was as if she had just disappeared...

To this day, no one knew where she was. Not even the CCG was able to find her. To say that Luka was devastated would be an understatement. Ever since that day...it was like he was just a dead man walking... It was much reflected in his eyes. Even when they were friends, he was still a cold person, still longing for the day they might reunite.

But... now... he was different.

He wasn't as...disclosed as he used to be. It was as if he's willingly trying to connect with them. He also displayed signs of life that was not present before. No longer did he move like a robot on autopilot, or a walking corpse. But he moved as if he were actually living, no...as if he was living again for the second time.

But... there was also another part of him that was different. Something a Ghoul could sniff out.

His scent.

It was different than before. He still smelled like Luka...but it was different.

It was no longer completely human...

...he had the scent of a **Ghoul** now...

And it wasn't just some ordinary Ghoul scent, either. It was a scent he knew all too well... the smell of the woman who put a fucking hole in his stomach as she ripped his territory right from underneath his nose. The smell of Rize Kamishiro.

But... that just didn't make any sense! Luka was human!

He was a human...he shouldn't even smell like a Ghoul, much less like Rize! WHat was going on?! What really happened during that accident?!

"ne, Nishiki-kun..." Kimi stepped closer to him as the three of them left Kamii University, worry expressed on her face. "Are you alright? You looked pretty troubled. Is something wrong?"

"H-Huh? No...nothing is wrong..." the bespectacled man shook his head. He didn't want Kimi to know of what he was thinking. Then she would be worried as well...

"You sure, Nishio?" Luka asked, unconvinced of his claims. "You look pretty deep in thought there for a sec."

'That would be because of you, Mezame.' Nishiki retorted in his mind, still suspicious of this change. Despite smelling like that glutton and the personality 180, it was definitely one of the few human friends he had here.

He...just wanted to know what exactly happened to him. He was beginning to worry about Luka. He was not like who he was before. Just what had happened to him...?

"...it's nothing, Mezame."

Luka looked at him questioningly, as if he thought there were more to it. But in the end, he shrugged.

"Alright, boys!" Kimi giggled. "Let's go!"

Both men were then dragged by the arm by the young woman to who knows where. Nishiki just hoped it wasn't shopping. As much as he loved Kimi...he just couldn't stand shopping.

If the look on Luka's face meant anything, he was in complete agreement.

It was going to be a loooooooonnnnnnnng day.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"Dammit, Kimi!" Nishiki scowled. "Why don't you take your own bags for once?!"

Both he and Luka were just about buried by the number of bags and boxes they were assigned to carry.

"Geh..." Luka groaned. "T-this... is torture... What the hell?! Even Milly never bought this much!"

"Oh, hush, Luka-chan!" Kimi giggled, walking ahead of the group. "Besides, most of those clothes are for the festival in a few months!"

"Festival...? What festival?" luka questioned.

"Don't you remember, Luka-kun?" the girl asked, twirling around to face him as she walked backwards. "In two months, Kamii will be holding the annual founding festival! And I've been asked to buy everything needed!"

"So why are me and Nishio being forced to carry your baggage?" the violet-eyed teen asked in exasperation.

"I needed the extra hands. I did say I had to get EVERYTHING we needed." she reminded.

"Your a real slave driver, Kimi!" Nishiki whined. "Seriously, can we please take a stop? My arms feel like they're gonna rip off!"

"Oh hush, Nishiki." She scolded. "I know for a fact that you can carry much more than that!"

Luka raised an eyebrow at this, but grunted in indifference as he trudged along, carrying the bags.

"...Is she always like this?" Luka asked the bespectacled man as they moved at a slow pace.

"...more or less. But only when it comes to shopping."

Luka sighed. "You have my condolences, Nishio."

"Gee, thanks!" he replied sarcastically. Luka merely offered him a smile.

"What are friends fore?"

There it was again. The same difference. The same anomaly that left him confused. 'Mezame would never say we were friends...' Nishiki thought. 'At least, not out loud.'

"Say, Mezame?" he decided to ask him. "I really hate to ask this, but... how did you wind up in the hospital in the first place? I mean, I heard that some poor girl got crushed, but..."

Luka sighed. "Well, if you really wanna know, I almost got killed on my first date."

 _'D-date?_ ' Nishiki hid his shock. _'How the hell did he score a date?! Now I KNOW something is up!'_ "Huh, really? Must've been one crazy broad."

"Was even worse when I found out she was a Ghoul."

 _'Ghoul? ...oh no. Please don't tell me it was-'_ "Yikes, seriously? W-who was it?"

Again he sighed, this time more out of annoyance. "...Kamishiro." he replied, causing Nishiki's blood to run cold. "Rize Kamishiro."

Nishiki suddenly stopped, his arms falling limp, with every package he was carrying now crashing to the floor. But he didn't register it. He was in a state of shock of what he just heard.

Rize...Luka was on a date with Rize?! How in the bloody hell did he even survive?!

"N-Nishiki-kun!" Kimi cried. "Y-you okay? You look pale!"

"H-huh?" He finally registered his actions as a result of his shock, blinking rapidly. "O-oh, it's... it's nothing. I guess I just... lost my grip is all?"

"Do you need to catch a break?" Luka asked, eyes knit in concern. "We can if you want."

"I'm fine...really, I am..."

"You don't look like it." his girlfriend said, unconvinced. "You look like you just saw a ghost. Come on, there's a cafe not far from here."

"Kimi, I'm being serious, I-"

"No buts mister!"

Dec 6Any ideas?

Nishiki's words died in his throat after hearing that tone from Kimi. He sighed in relent instead. He knew there was no arguing with her when she is like this.

"Nishio," Luka didn't even bother to hide his snickers. "You are whipped."

"Shut up!"

After that, the raven-haired teen grabbed the fallen bags while Kimi led them to their destination.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Touka Kirishima was having a bad day.

It didn't even start out great for her. WHen she woke up, she forgot to set her alarm so she was late to school.

And then, as it turned out, there was a mock exam first period, which left her confused and agitated. She had even almost snapped at the teacher.

And then, as if truly adding insult to injury, when she started working after school, she wound up spilling coffee on herself, which burned like, and these were her exact words, "a motherfucker."

So... yes, her day was not going well. The only solace she could find right now is listening to the music blaring out from her headphones. The manager, bless that old man's heart, had taken pity on her and told her that she could take the day off. She relished this time to study, seeing as how her Classic Lit had it out for her. Therefore, she took a few books from her shelf, and began to study extensively. The books themselves were scattered all along the desk, along with various scraps of paper.

SHe took notes on the passages she read, as well as comparing her own interpretations of the content with notes she got online. She had been doing this for the past hour.

Eventually, however, she groaned in frustration as she leaned back. "Stupid literature..." she growled somewhat before standing up. "I need a break. Maybe get a cup of coffee from Irima or Koma or whatever."

Anteiku, contrary to its appearance as a coffee shop, was a two story building. The lower floor was used as the main lobby, where customers came and went for their drink and food, while the upper floor was used a private quarters. Not only was her room here, but also a private room for other purposes.

Setting her headphones down, Touka stood up and left her room, closing the door behind her and heading down the stairs. SHe figured it would be pretty quiet since it was almost closing time.

When she reached the lobby, she saw there was still a few people around, maybe three or four. They were simply enjoying the peace and quiet, like she was. "Oh, Touka-chan." Irimi greeted her as she saw her emerged from the stairwell, smiling. "How's your studies?"

"Crappy," she said sourly. "Do you think I can get a mocha? I think I'm gonna need it."

The woman giggled in her hand. "Sure thing." she said before going straight to work. Meanwhile, Touka sat down on one of the stools, leaning on her hand. Honestly, this was so boring. The life she had was average and normal as you could get, all things considered, but... the skirmishes were such a pain in the ass. Honestly, every Ghoul in the ward was always fighting over territory, and it always came down to Anteiku to divide it up evenly. Of course, some aren't happy with that, which leads to her, and sometimes Irimi and Koma, beating the shit out of them.

They were sort of the mediators or enforcers of the 20th ward. But things got even worse ever since Rize's disappearance. The woman was a glutton beyond comprehension. She was strong, but that was because of her insatiable appetite. She took over several territories, and after her disappearance, people were fighting over them like rabid animals. Honestly, to her, it was just one giant pain in the ass. Most of them were just weaklings who were unable to properly hunt for food themselves, thus needing their own feeding grounds.

Anteiku was forced to straighten things out, but Touka still felt like it was a pain. Of course, she wondered what happened to Rize in the first place. She scarcely recalled her taking a fancy with some boy, didn't remember what he looked like though. Only thing that she seemed to remember was that lifeless look in his eyes.

"Here you go," Irimi smiled as she handed her the steaming cup. "Enjoy, Touka-chan."

Touka smiled back in graititude. "Thanks, Irimi-san." she tells her before taking a sip. Instantly, as she pulls back, she sighs in relief. "Much better..."

"Coffee always makes everything better." Irimi joked.

Touka giggled at that before going back to enjoy her drink. The door bell jingled, signaling the arrival of new customers. Irimi smiled. "Hello. Welcome to... Oh my. Nishiki, is that you? My goodness, you look pale."

Upon hearing the name, Touka instantly felt a scowl tug at her lips. _'Oh hell no,_ ' she thought hotly. _'Anyone but that four-eyed bastard!'_

She didn't really like Nishiki...no, scratch that...

...She downright hated his guts. It all started a couple years ago, when he started taking over local feeding grounds for himself. Naturally, back when Ayato was still with her, they were tasked with dealing with him. She could not remember the last time she met someone who pissed her off so damned much. Not only had he actually kicked her in the face, but even went on to insult her. Karma proved to be a bitch that day, however, as she and Ayato kicked his ass.

Didn't stop him from trying to take over the feeding grounds from time to time. By that point, it was like a fierce Ghoulish rivalry. The manager told her not to dwell to much, but how could she not hate this guy? He was so damned annoying!

She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the person of her ire standing near the door. His face was slightly pale, but it seemed like he was recovering from whatever shocked the hell out of him. Beside him were two others, one was his human girlfriend. She had to admit, she wasn't bad looking... but she wondered what the hell she saw in that bastard. The other was a kid slightly older than her, bearing raven-black hair and violet eyes.

Violet... where had she seen that color before?

She racked her mind for the answer...but ended up with nothing. But she had a feeling that she had DEFINITELY seen the guy before. But where...?

"I-I'm fine...Irimi..." Nishiki raised a hand at her statement.

"You sure?" the woman looked unconvinced. "You don't look so hot."

"Um, Miss Kaya?" Kimi asked politely. "Do you think you can get him something to drink?"

"Sure thing."

After that, Touka proceeded to ignore everything and went back to her coffee. The violet-eyed boy took a seat next to her, though she paid little attention him as he made his order. She snuck a quick glance at him.

Up close... he actually looked a bit handsome, but certainly not her type. In fact, as far as she knew, Touka never had an interest in boys, but he most certainly did not swing to the other side of the fence either. She was still slightly annoyed by the fact that she knew him from somewhere. His face was vaguely familiar. Maybe he was a regular customer?

Irimi seemed to confirm her thoughts. "Oh, Luka-kun." she said, smiling. "Pleasant surprise to see you here, especially without your friends. What were their names again? Kaneki-kun and Nagachika-kun?"

Touka, unconsciously leaned closer to hear more of their conversation.

"They had other stuff to do. I met up with Nishiki and Kimi as I went back to Kamii. But then Kimi dragged both of us along for...shopping..." Luka actually shuddered toward the end.

"Ara, is that so?"

"Yeah... Note to self, NEVER go with a girl on a shopping spree. She WILL make you carry her bags! Er... no offense."

Irimi chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it, Luka-kun."

Touka just looked at the boy. She felt as if she had seen him before...but didn't recognize how he acted.

Luka... Luka... where did she hear that name before?

SHe racked her brain for the desired memory, but ended up with a blank.

"...is there a reason your invading my personal space?"

Touka blinked and reoriented herself. Her eyes met violet. Luka was staring at her with a deadpan expression. "E-eh?!" She instantly recoiled. She must have moved closer when she hadn't been realizing it. "Thank you," the boy told her simply.

"Seriously though...why are you looking at me like that?"

"I-it was nothing!" she retorted, taking a swift drink of her coffee. "Just butt out!"

Luka relented. "Sheesh..." he muttered under his breath. "And here I thought Kallen was hot-tempered."

"Huh? WHo's Kallen?"

"No one..." Luka waved her off, sending her fuming. The nerve of that cheeky little..! "Anyway, can I have a cup of black coffee?"

"Sure thing, Luka-kun."

Irimi left the two in order to get to work.

Both remained in awkward silence.

The violet-eyed teen simply waited for his order to arrive while Touka continued to glare at him. This kid somehow managed to piss her off, and that was in less than a few seconds. She could honestly say that she wanted to beat the crap out of him. And what was with that damned smug look on his face? What? Did he think he was better or something?

...wait, why did he smell so different?

He...smelled a bit like a human...but for the most part, his stench was that of a Ghoul's...

...and not just any Ghoul...

This punk smelled like _Rize_!

 _'Don't tell me this dope is the one she was going to eat!'_ Touka thought in disbelief. _'How the hell is this guy even still alive?! There's no way Rize would...!'_

"Oi, what's with that stupid look on your face, Shitty Touka?"

She was brought out from her thoughts, and visibly scowled as he turned to glare at the source of her earlier ire. "Fuck off, Shitty Nishiki."

"Oi! I'm just saying it like it is!" Nishiki snapped. "All you've been doing is glaring at Mezame! What the hell did he do to you?!"

She bit her lip. She had been wanting to ask herself that as well. If he really was the kid Rize went with, then it would explain why he was familiar... but, somehow, she felt that it was more than that. She just couldn't understand how, or why. "It's none of your business." she told him flatly.

To her surprise, Nishiki growled. "Like hell it is."

This caught her off guard. Nishiki was never this defensive of somebody. What is going on?! "N-Nishiki-kun, calm down!" his human lover told him, startled by his sudden animosity. She bowed her head. "I-I'm so sorry! He hasn't been himself lately!"

"Yeah...I can tell that much." Touka replied, still unsure about the bespectacled man's behavior.

Seriously. What happened to him?!

"Yare yare," Luka sighed. "Nishio, could you lay off? It isn't like she hasn't tried to kill me or anything." Then he sent her a condescending grin. "I doubt she could anyway."

 _'Why that son of a...!'_

Oh, now she really wanted to kill him.

"Che...fine...But I'm telling ya, Shitty Touka is nothing but trouble..."

...Scratch that...she really wanted to kill the both of them!

"Now, now." a familiar, elderly voice scolded them. She looked over her shoulder to see the manager stepping inside. He was an old man by all means, but that did not mean he was to be taken lightly. Bearing a well-wrinkled and aged face, and gray hair that was slicked back, wearing the same old buttoned shirt, slacks, bowtie, and apron. "No need for violence."

"Oh, manager..."

"Touka-chan." Yoshimura smiled as he nodded at her before noticing the others. "Ah, Nishiki-kun. While I do find your banter amusing at times, please, do keep the hostilities to a minimum."

Nishiki scoffed, but relented. Luka merely shrugged before he was handed his cup of coffee. "Thank you." he said, taking the cup to his lips.

Immediately, his eyes widened as his sense of taste was overwhelmed by the heavenly liquid. Instead of downing it quickly, Luka made the effort to sip it slowly and savor the flavor.

When he put the cup down, he slowly turned to Yoshimura. "...out of curiosity, what kind of beans do you use?"

"Hmhmhm...I apologize, but that is a shop secret." He smiled apologetically.

"Damn," he cursed. "Oh well... It's very good, though."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"What did you expect, Mezame?" Nishiki drawled. "The old man can make pretty much any damn good cup of expresso in the whole damn ward."

It was then that Touka seemed to realize something.

Mezame... Wasn't that...?

 _'...no, couldn't be'_ she dismissed, shaking her head. _'No way.'_

She didn't think it was possible. It simply wasn't.

"Is that right?" Luka chuckled. "Remind me to come by more often."

"you should. It's a great place."

Touka groaned inwardly. Great, just what she needed... another freaking annoyance!

"Are you better now, Nishiki-kun?" Kimi asked the four-eyed bastard, who shrugged his shoulders. "We can head back to Kamii if you want. We can get the stuff another time."

"Nah, it's cool." Nishiki told her. "Besides, we're almost done, right?"

Kimi nodded before looking at Luka. "How about you, Luka?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Kimi, do I look like I can carry any more?"

"No, you don't." Nishiki scoffed. "Because your a fucking twig. Honestly, don't you ever work out?"

As it turned out, his figure appeared to be a sore spot as he scowled. "Fuck you."

"Heh, sorry, but that's Kimi's job. Besides, I don't swing that way." the Ghoul replied with a smug look.

"God Dammit, Nishio!"

The man grinned before Kimi bopped him on the head lightly, giving him a light scolding. Her face was red from his comment, and given that they were in a public place, it only made her more embarrassed. Subsequently, she grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him away after he grabbed the bags.

Luka sighed, palming his face. "Such colorful friends you have, Luka..." he muttered quietly. Touka immediately frowned when she heard this, due to her sharpened hearing. What did that mean? She contemplated on this before she shrugged, not wanting to rack her mind on someone like him. It was bad enough it was clear he would be staying for a while.

Luke downed the last of his coffee, gently setting the cup on the counter top. He contemplated of ordering another one.

"By the by, Luka-kun..." Yoshimura spoke up, taking the cup. "How are you feeling? I've heard that you were just released from the hospital."

"I've been fine, for the most part..." he shrugged. "But lately, my taste buds have been out of whack. I can barely taste anything anymore... except for the coffee, strangely."

"Oh? Is that so...?" This raised intrigue with the other Ghouls in the room.

"Yeah, it sucks." Luka groaned. "Not to mention annoying..."

"And what happened to Rize-san?" the old man asked curiously. Touka shifted slightly, looking at the violet-eyed boy.

He sighed. "...died when she was crushed underneath the steel beams." Luka told him. "And she was my organ doner."

She didn't miss the slight tension in his voice.

But her mind was focused on something else entirely...

...RIze...was his organ donor?!

 _'First he goes on a date with that glutton, then he comes back with her organs?!'_ she thought in complete disbelief. _'What the hell?!'_

She didn't know if it was possible or not. All of her life, she had only known that Ghouls had been around for a long time, possibly as long as humans, but... a human with Ghoul organs? That was unheard of. What... would that mean for him?

Yoshimura didn't look the least bit worried about the whole thing, simply putting on a look of concern. "Is that so...? Are you alright?"

"Meh...I've been worse...I'm just so hungry though..."

"Have you been eating well?"

"I had the usual crappy hospital food, and earlier today Nagachika took me to Big Girl... but even after that, I'm still so damned hungry."

"You mean that steak place?"

"Yeah...even after eating that huge steak...I'm still hungry..."

That set off warning bells in her head, enough so that Touka looked heavily suspicious. The ravenous hunger, the sudden lost of taste... they all coincided, except for one factor: he tasted nothing. If he was what she believed him to be now, he should be tasting nothing but shit.

"Well, hopefully," Yoshimura smiled kindly. "Your sense of taste will come back. And if you need something to tide you over, I can fix you up something."

"Heh, I appreciate it."

Luka grinned appreciatively. Touka was still irked by him. How can he still act like that after everything has happened?

She wasn't sure which part about him pissed her off, to be frank. That smug look, that attitude, or the fact that he didn't appear to be worried in the least about his current predicament. Scratch that, he did look worried... but the way he expressed it just irritated her. God, it was like she was looking at a skewed version of Ayato!

Ayato...she hasn't seen her stupid brother for over a year now...Where the hell was he?! Why did he leave?!

"...again, is there a reason you are invading my personal space?" Touka blinked, once again seeing that she was close to his face. Instantly, she reeled back, but still had a dark scowl on her face. "Okay, did I do something?"

"Yeah, your being annoying."

"What? Why...?" Luka questioned her.

"I don't know!" she snapped, annoyed. "You just are!"

"...That's a pretty vague answer." he deadpanned. "...Are you really that dull?"

"What was that, you little brat?!"

"Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it." Luka replied. "Excuse me for being blunt."

Why you...!"

"Touka-chan..." Yoshimura warned slightly. "Calm down."

"...fine..." She relented.

Luka raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as the manager handed him a plate of food. It was a simple, triangular shaped sandwich.

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

Dec 7Luka took the first half of the sandwich and held it up to his mouth. He stared at it intently, as if wondering what it would taste like. Shrugging, he took a large bite out of it and chewed thoroughly.

...It tasted like nothing.

 _'Figures...'_

He stared at the remains of the sandwich in mild contempt. Even this couldn't satiate his appetite.

He needed to eat something, otherwise he will grow insane!

Although, given that the old man was kind enough to make it, he didn't want to be rude. That in mind, he began to biting back into it. Something inside apparently squished underneath the pressure of his teeth, as it gushed and splattered inside his mouth. His eyes widened when he felt a wonderful, tangy substance flow into his tongue.

For the briefest moment, he felt his hunger subside, if only for a fleeting moment.

He chewed on the piece of meat he found within the sandwich, and proceeded to take another bite. Then another. Then another.

He had finished the half he held and moved onto the next one.

Touka gaped as she saw him, in under two minutes, eat both sandwiches... or rather, inhaling them, whichever you preferred.

He sighed in content, a smile on his face. "Now that... that had flavor."

Yoshimura smiled, though the girl, alongside Irimi, who had been working off to the side this entire time since Yoshimura entered, had known the truth behind it, and the sadness so easily well hidden. "I'm glad you think so, Luka-kun." he chuckled. "Would you like another?"

"Gladly." he replied in earnest. "Much obliged, mister Yoshimura."

"Think nothing of it."

The elderly man nodded as he picked up the empty plate and returned to the kitchen to whip up another sandwich, leaving Luka along with Touka and Irimi.

"Wow, you must have been hungry!" Irimi giggled. "How long have you been like that?"

"Nearly a month." he told her. "And that's the first thing that actually tasted like SOMETHING. Everything else is like chewed up gum or something."

"...Bullshit!" Touka scowled, causing Luka to turn to her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

Touka was seething. She had seen his initial reaction when he first bit into his food. It wasn't one of nausea or of disgust... it was distaste. Why...WHy was he able to eat food like that?! He didn't even wince in repulsion after biting into the bread! It was completely unfair! Everything she tasted, with the exception of the flesh of humans, tasted like total and utter shit! She kept hearing from other humans how salty chips are, how savory ramen is, how tasty taiyaki is, how sour lemons are, how delicious pizza is, and how sweet desserts are!

She wouldn't ever experience those sensations!

So why did this bastard get scott free of the hell she's been living in for all of her life?! It wasn't fair...Why the hell was he so fucking special?!

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-  
**

Eto had never seen someone so unique, so... special.

Those were her thoughts as she observed the boy known as Luka Mezame.

He was not like most people, human or Ghoul.

She had been watching him since Kanou had released him from the hospital. Every hour of every minute, she watched as he went about his daily life, or what little was left of it after the good doctor had made him into a lab rat, trying to satiate his hunger. He showed odd signs of divergence, but she didn't care much for it.

Now, he sat inside the shop run by that old Ghoul, Yoshimura. Likely, the old fool was giving him something to tide his hunger for a time, but she knew it wouldn't be enough. No, not for a newly born Ghoul. He would need something else, something more than just mere droplets to keep the hunger at bay.

He would have to give into his instincts. Succumb to his newfound self. He would have to embrace becoming a Ghoul.

He would have to feed on human flesh...or even Ghoul flesh. He needed to devour meat and organs, and ingest massive quantities of blood. He needed true nourishment.

It is the only way to satisfy his hunger.

The bandaged girl giggled at the image in her mind; that handsome little devil feasting away at a corpse. It was such a cute image, she could hardly wait to see it happen.

Aaaah, how she wanted to see his face, so ravaged by the maddening hunger! It would be even better if it were a Ghoul he were eating!

She felt herself become lost in a blissful trance. Luka Mezame...what an interesting individual. If she didn;'t know better, she would say that he is similar to one of the tragic protagonists in her novels.

"...you look like your enjoying yourself, Eto."

The girl was pulled away from her thoughts, and looked up to see Tatara standing behind her, a contemplative gaze in his eyes as always. "Tatara-san," she greeted back. "What are you doing here?"

"I came by to get you." he said in his ever cool and calm tone. "Noro and the others are waiting."

"Aw, do I have to?"

Tatara narrowed his eyes. "...what exactly is your obsession with that boy?"

"He is just sooo interesting..." The girl giggled. "He is another of Kanou's experiments...but doesn't show complete signs of being a Ghoul."

"...that is true," Tatara seemed to agree. "His sense of taste is different from ours. It only makes me wonder how different his combat prowess will be. Although," his eyes crinkled closely together. "From the look of things, he's starting to understand just what kind of hell Ghouls live through on a daily basis. It doesn't matter what the old fool does. Simple small parcels aren't nearly enough to satiate it."

"Exactly...I'm looking forward to when he realizes this and actually hunts for his own food..."

The man chuckled. "You have such a twisted concept of love, Eto."

"Ara?" Eto tilted her head. "You think it's love?"

"What else could it be?" The white haired man asked rhetorically.

"I'd like to think of it as..." From beneath the bandages, a sickening grin could be seen, outlined faintly through the cloth. "...a demented interest."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: The Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Not even ten seconds after Luka stepped out of the shop after having paid for his meal, Touka shot out of her seat and screamed. "Graaaaaaagh! I hate that bastard!" she announced, causing Irimi to blink while Yoshimura's lips tugged upward in amusement.

"Now, now, Touka-chan." the old man advised. "It's not healthy for you to be so worked up."

"I can't help it! That bastard pisses me off so much, I want to fucking rip his guts out!"

"and just what is it that makes you so irritated about the boy?"

" _EVERYTHING_!" she cried. "How is that he doesn't taste anything?! It's not fair, dammit!"

"Well, he is an unusual case...but I feel as if there is more than what he leads on."

Touka scowled further. "Oh? So he's got more than just some defective tongue?!"

Yoshimura sighed. Honestly, sometimes her temper was a bit bothersome... but understandable. After all, a Ghoul who did not suffer from the horrid taste of human food could be considered something an object of scorn. "Touka-chan, do you recall the news the other day? About a young man who was caught in an accident?"

"Yeah, so what?" she scoffed. "It's him, right? That Luka bastard, or whatever his name is?"

"It's more complicated than you think, Touka-chan." he said gently. "His body is already becoming more similar to ours. Furthermore, he's already on the verge of starvation, and you know what happens when on the brink." She knew all right. Hell, any Ghoul knew, at some point in their lives. "Also... there's also something else as well."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Touka-chan." Suddenly, the girl became tense when the manager's voice turned grave, and his eyes opened to reveal the familiar, yet sharp black and red eyes. "That boy... is Nanako-chan's older brother."

Touka's body went cold.

L-Luka...that bastard...is Nanako-chan's _brother_?!

The brother she hasn't seen for years?!

"B-but... that's...!" she stuttered in disbelief. She just couldn't believe it. "Th-there's no way that...!"

"It is a wonder, isn't it?" Yoshimura asked. "That he should come right to our doorstep, and as a Ghoul, no less..." A sorrowful smile crossed his lips. "I would imagine Nanako-chan would be heartbroken."

"...manager," Irimi spoke up, her face wreathed in sadness. "Do you think... he knows?"

"No, I'm afraid he doesn't." the man shook his head. "After all... Nanako-chan asked us not to tell him anything after she left."

"So...he's been in the dark for all these years...?"

"Yes...He most likely believes that she had also died in the incident..."

Touka scowled. "That stupid idiot..." she muttered. "That's her brother. Doesn't he deserve a right to know?"

"It was her last request, Touka-chan." Yoshimura told her sternly. "And we always honor requests."

"Is that why you let Ayato walk out of here?" she shot back bitterly. Yoshimura simply stood there, staring back at her impassively, as calm and cool as always.

"That was his decision, Touka-chan. I held no right to deny him that."

Her scowl deepened as she turned on her foot. "...whatever," she said in dismissal. "I'm going back to my room."

She slammed the door behind her, causing everything on the shelf to shake for a moment. Yoshimura sighed, understanding her feelings... but he knew he held no right to deny Ayato's request to leave. That being said, he also kept quiet about what the boy wanted for her, and promised never to say anything.

"...She is right, though." Irimi said. "Luka-kun does deserve to know what happened."

"...I know..." Yoshimura nodded slowly. "...All they have left is each other...but I promised Nanako-chan that I would honor her request..."

"Do you think he'll ever find out?"

"I hope so..." Yoshimura said, genuinely hoping for that they would one day find each other. God knows they deserve it... they truly did. "I hope so..."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Lelouch sighed in content as he stepped out of Anteiku, breathing in the cool, crisp air.

He had no idea what was in that sandwich, but his he didn't feel so hungry as before. After not tasting anything for so long...it was nice to be finally able to taste something.

The cup of coffee that the owner made was also a plus.

"I still wonder why I can taste coffee." he muttered to himself. "How is that possible? Can Ghouls... actually drink coffee?"

He didn't know the answer to that. He probably should've asked that to the Ghoul Expert. But then again, he probably wouldn't be able to answer, as he would just respond based off of generalizations.

Still, though... At least his hunger had been swayed a little. It hadn't completely gone away, but it had dulled.

"What to do..."

Lelouch groaned in frustration. Everything was such a hassle, especially given that he was slowly being driven crazy by his own hunger, which had only been slightly satiated. At this rate, it would not be long before that damned purple-haired demon, Rize, popped up again, and taunt him.

His hands curled into fists when he recalled the memory. She knew nothing of his motivations and actions. Everything he did, every death he caused... it was all for his sister! He even gave up his life for her! How in the hell could that be self-satisfaction?!

"Screw her...she knows nothing!" He seethed. How could a figment of his imagination even begin to understand him?!

No matter how he looked at it, all he saw was his own sick and twisted actions, everything he had done as an act of atonement in his own way... and for Suzaku.

Hah... now that he thought about it, it was ironic. His and Suzaku's roles had been reversed in the Zero Requiem. He had wanted to die in order to atone for his sins, while Suzaku wanted everything to change, methods of obtaining it be damned.

He wondered how things became so messed up...was it him...? Was it because of his reckless decisions that everything went to shit?

He wouldn't be surprised if everything went spiraling out of control because of him. In fact, the day he met C.C., his entire life had gone to hell in a hand basket... as had Suzaku's.

"Geass really was like a curse, wasn't it?" he mumbled to himself, a sardonic smile plastered across his face. "Now that I think about it... Do I still have it?"

It was something that hadn't occurred to him until recently. He doesn't feel the ever present feeling in both of his eyes. They feel how they were before he ever attained a permanent Geass...

He stopped when he reached a nearby window. On the other side of the glass, he could see mannequins clad in various articles of clothing. He made a quickly look around, finding no one around. "Okay..." he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He recalled the feeling of when he first used it, that burning sensation that engulfed his left eye, and during the Zero Requiem, in both of his eyes. It was not an unpleasant feeling, more like an irritating itch that refused to relent at first, but gradually became accustomed to this nagging feeling.

He opened his eyes. His reflection showed the results. When he saw it, he felt his breath hitch in his throat.

His Geass remained in his left eye.

"It... regressed?"

It was a startling thing. Yet also very confusing. Why...why did it regress to only his left eye? And is it no longer permanent? Has it weakened back to its initial stage?

He gingerly graced his eyelids as the mark slowly receded. "Could it have been..." he wondered aloud. "Because... this isn't my body?"

It seemed like a possibility. Maybe it's because of the fact that his mind and soul are currently within Luka's body.

Maybe this body just isn't accustomed to the power of Geass yet, which is why it is now regressed to its beginning stage?

"...maybe this is a good thing." Lelouch concluded as he stepped back, pulling his hand down. "Because of this power, so many lives were ruined..."

The red avian sigil faded from his eye.

"At least now...I am aware of the consequences for using it so haphazardly."

He remembered what had happened because of his misuse of this power. So many lives lost... so many lives ruined. If it weren't for this, Euphie would still be alive, the Black Knights wouldn't have betrayed him, and, maybe... maybe Suzaku would have stood by his side.

At the very least, Lelouch could hope nothing would happen that would force him to use this power ever again. As far as he was concerned, Luka Mezame deserved a chance to live without this damned power. After all, he had someone stained with blood controlling his body as if it were a meat suit, and even worse, his humanity had been stripped of him.

Lelouch grit his teeth in anguish. Why...why must things like this happen to him? Is he fated to continuously ruin the lives of others?

"I don't deserve a second chance..." he said in self-loathing. "Especially not if it leaves me in someone who..."

He trailed off when something filled into his nostrils.

His thoughts died down as his senses became overwhelmed by the most delectable scent he ever smelled. It was just...just so...delicious!

His stomach rumbled...no...roared in hunger.

Drool flowed out from his mouth, and his eyes shook, the one that once held the Power of the King was overcome with darkness, and the iris became bloody.

"T-this smell..." he gaped as his feet began to move on their own, slowly shuffling into the alleyway. "It smells... so good...!"

His sense of reason had dwindled to near nothing. Only predatory instinct took over. His body moved on his own, his mind dull and foggy.

But he didn't care...his stomach was raving like mad. He was hungry...he was STARVING!

Any rationality that would have kept him from moving was swept away as his legs moved in a quick rhythm, now running at full sprint down the alley. The Kakugan was trembling like mad.

His mouth was set in a hungry grin, his stomach waiting expectantly for a meal after so long!

"It's so close...!" he breathed, nearly tumbling over his feet. "I can smell it...! Finally... Finally! Something I can eat!"

He continued to run. The scent grew stronger with each step. However, upon reaching his destination, his sprint slowed to sluggish steps.

"It's right around the corner...!"

He turned around to the end of the alley, his raving madness dying down to be replaced by shocked revelation.

His body remained rooted in place, leaving him shaking. His eyes widened, shaking with horror while his mouth remained agape, staring at what stood in front of him, even as the sounds of flesh being ripped apart and soft intestines being squished and torn.

A shabby looking man was in the middle of the enclosed space, feeding upon a random corpse. He bit into and chewed through the flesh and sucked out the blood like juice.

 _'Y-you... gotta be kidding...'_ Lelouch thought in absolute horror.

A dead body was nothing new to him, and neither was making a dead body for that matter. In his battle against Britannia, he had always been one to kill, any that were considered to be a threat, or an obstacle to his goals. Only God knew how many deaths he was responsible for, during his time as the Demon Emperor of Britannia.

And yet... seeing someone devour a corpse like this... No, not a someone...

...a **Ghoul**.

 _'Hah...'_ a bitter laugh escaped inside his mind as he fell to his knees. _'Of course... The only thing that could smell so apatizing to evoke such a reaction from me... Of course, it had to be a fucking corpse!'_

Lelouch laughed bitterly...feeling completely stupid that something like this had managed to take him by surprised. he should've suspected that it was a human body in the first place! He was a Ghoul for crying out loud!

His laugh alerted the Ghoul feasting upon the corpse instantly, his head whipping around. His face was old with stubble along his chin, eyes already engulfed by the Kakugan. Blood was smeared all along his mouth.

 **"What?** " he questioned, startled by the sudden arrival of another person. He became tense when he noticed the Kakugan still present in Lelouch's eye. **"You... your a Ghoul, aren't you?"** Lelouch didn't answer him. He was still left in a state of shock and self-loathing. **"Sorry, but... I'm not giving this corpse to you. I haven't had a single thing to eat in a month."** His eyes narrowed into a glare. **"Now, beat it, kid... Go find your own corpse...!"**

Lelouch tilted his head so that his bangs concealed his eyes. "...Heh...I guess I really am a monster...I'm really hungry right now..." He raised his head, his face bearing a demonic grin while his single kakugan flared. "So I dare you **stop me from eating!"**

In the next moment, the shabby Ghoul jumped away, the ground next to the body blown apart. Embedded were four purple tendrils with red circuits running all over it. Lelouch's back was hunched over, where the demonic limbs appeared. **"Stupid brat!"** the Ghoul growled as his own Kagune emerged. In contrast to the violet limbs, he bore a single, lashing tentacle. It resembled the tail of a scorpion, the tip bulbous in shape with a sharpened end, while the limb was segmented into different, armored parts. **"Your gonna pay for that!"**

 **"Ara, still alive?"** Lelouch giggled, palming his face. He could feel his rationality slipping away from him. This hunger... gah-it was so confusing! He was going mad! He-he wanted to eat... it didn't matter what it was! He wanted something to eat! "You should have stayed put... _**I wonder, how do you taste?"**_

For a moment, his voice became warped. From behind, he could have sworn he saw Rize, bearing the same demented grin as his, and eyes overcome with madness.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"Looks like he's lost it~" Eto said in a sing-song tone. "He sort of reminds me of Rize-chan."

"Indeed. That is to be expected since he has her Kagune. His own hunger is overwhelming him."

Tatara noted, leaning against the railing, and arms folded over his chest. Due to Eto's lingering interest, they had decided to delay their return... and now, he found himself amazed. _'The Kagune experienced a mutation...'_ he analyzed with curiosity. _'Not simply in form, but also... Hm, interesting.'_

He recalled what Rizes kagune be looked like...and what Lika has was not them. They looked completely different, but he could still detect that they were the same. Not only in appearance, but the sheer number released has changed as well.

 _'Very interesting...'_ Tatara mused. It appeared that Luka Mezame was worth observing after all...

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

By the time the Kagune had emerged, Lelouch had lost all sense of self, or any rationality.

He wasn't even aware of what he was doing. Only instinct had taken control. His innate instinct of fulfilling basic need...this case being food. He was absolutely starving...and there was food right in front of him...

 _...like hell is he gonna let a meal pass up!_

 **"Stupid punk!"** the shabby Ghoul snarled as he swung his body around, the tail trying to sweep him off his feet. Lelouch merely leaped above it, his tendrils piercing into the walls before he bounced off of it to avoid the tail whipping at him, destroying the wall. It was as if he were mimicking a grasshopper or a spider, bouncing away from wall to wall before he came back to the ground, this time with the intention of killing the one keeping him from his meal.

Two of the tendrils lashed forward, intending to skewer the Ghoul, though the shabby man knocked them away, leaping back to avoid the next two tendrils slamming into the ground. He retaliated by swiftly moving in, his Kagune thrusting forward, as if meaning to run him through. The four tendrils stopped it's progress, the tips clashing together.

 **"What the shit?!"** the shabby Ghoul growled angrily. **"What kind of Kagune is this?!"**

 _ **"Shut up!"**_ Lelouch snarled. This fight has gone on long enough! He wanted food...Now!

Two of the tendrils snaked around the scorpion tail, holding it in place. The other two pulled back before shooting forward, purring through the opposing Bikaku and into the Ghouls body.

The tail was completely torn apart, strands and pieces of it flying about before the Rinkaku struck into the shabby Ghoul's body. **"G-GRAGH!"** blood gushed out from his mouth as the tendrils poked out from his back, pinning him into the air. Lelouch, however, was far from done. His Rinkaku pulled it, and then struck back in, tearing further into the Ghoul's body.

 **"S-shtop!"** the Ghoul begged as the Rinkaku continued to ravage him, reducing his insides to bloody mesh. **"Shtopl! I'hm dyhng! Dhying!"**

Lelouch ignored him, and continued. Blood splattered all over the place, smearing the brick walls of the alleys, and some even landing on his face, and a bit flowing into his mouth. It was revolting, it tasted horrible and absolutely nauseating.

...and yet, it tasted so good.

It tingled on his tongue, stimulating his taste buds. The tendrils continued to stab into the ghoul, who was now already dead from strikes to the vitals.

He wanted more.. _.he needed more food!_

Finally, the tendrils relented, left impaled in the shabby corpse. It trembled for a moment before it slammed the corpse down on the ground, creating a small tremor in the area. Lelouch stumbled slowly toward the Ghoul, saliva flowing from his mouth.

The hunger had overwhelmed in entirely. He doubt he could stop now... not when he was pushed so far to the edge.

He fell to his knees, teeth bared in anticipation. The Ghoul's face was one of despair and wrought with pain. It suited something as pathetic as him. _**"Dinner time~"**_ Lelouch giggled before he clamped his teeth on the man's neck.

His jaw snapped shut, biting off a large chuck of flesh from the dead Ghoul's neck. He chewed the meat with vigor, savoring the flavor before swallowing it in a single gulp. His hunger slowly dwindled, but it wasn't enough.

He once again bit down, this time on the shoulder. He reeled back as his teeth tore into the flesh, and savored the wonderful, vile taste that defiled his mouth. He didn't care if it felt disgusting, or tasted repulsive! To him...it was the most delicious thing in the world right now! All he cared for was the fact he could actually taste something! He wanted more...He needed to eat!

Again, he dug his teeth into the flesh, and again, he swallowed the lump of meat. Blood gushed in his mouth, leaving behind a wonderful, bitter aftertaste. Blood smeared across his lips and his hands, slowly seeping into the cuffs of his clothes. He greedily began to work his way down, having consumed an entire shoulder and now nibbling away at the arm. His teeth grazed against the bone, but he didn't care, the sweet scent this corpse left behind was intoxicating. It was a like a drug, warping both his senses and the world around him. It was as if the whole world was being turned on it's head, and leaving him only to his own devices.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"Heehee~" the bandaged girl giggled. "He looks so cute like that!"

"while I wouldn't use words like that, I will admit that it is a magnificent sight." the white haired ghoul agreed. " he has completely embraced his existence as a Ghoul and fallen to his instincts."

To any Ghoul, it would be an act of savagery. Luka was absolutely entranced in his hunger, devouring the fallen Ghoul in little time at all. Already, almost half of it's corpse had been consumed. Tatara had to admit, he was vastly amused by what he was seeing. All Ghouls, at some point in time, have fallen prey to their hunger.

That being said, it appeared that his own insatiable hunger made him act more like Rize... how very curious.

From the few successes that Kanou's experiments brought, there weren't any signs of the subjects displaying similar behavior to the Binge Eater.

However, it appears that Luka is an exception.

"Say, Tatara-san..." Eto spoke up, looking up at the man. "Do you think he'd make a good little doggie?"

The man snorted. "I doubt it." he replied. "He does not appear to be the obedient type."

"Even if we played with him?"

"Even then." Tatara affirmed. "Also... I doubt he will break so easily."

"His submission to his hunger says otherwise."

"That is not what I meant." The man shook his head. "I meant that I doubt he would submit to us, no matter what we did."

"Ara?" Eto tilted her head in confusion. "How can you be so sure?"

"I can tell by the look in his eye." Tatara spoke as he narrowed his eyes on the devouring form of Luka Mezame, reflecting glints of intrigue and curiosity. He had to admit... there was something about this boy that proved to be interesting. "It is the look of a man who has been through hell and back, and emerged victorious."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

The hunger had yet to fade, even after nearly all of the man had been eaten. All that remained of him was his upper torso, an arm, the entire left side of his neck, and his head. Lelouch was still in the process of eating him, tearing into a nigh unrecognizable lump of flesh in his hands, mouth completely slathered in blood.

He relished in his feeding. It was as if he was filling a void in his very being! And he still had yet to touch the human that his meal was previously eating.

"...good grief, I was seriously hoping I was wrong about what I was smelling," a voice said in annoyance from behind. Lelouch paused, his mouth inches away from the lump of meat in his hands. The sounds of footsteps echoed in the hallway before stopping, a few feet away from him. "And from the looks of things... you're still fucking hungry." An annoyed sigh escaped them. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were acting like Rize."

Lelouch giggled as he allowed the lump to fall to the ground with a sickening splat. **_"You know..."_** he said, the phantasmal figure of Rize once again seen beside him as he felt his Kagune emerge again, creating a brief annoyance in his back. _**"It's rude to interrupting someone when they're in the middle of a meal... So,"**_ He leaned back, grinning maddeningly at Nishiki, who simply looked back at him with pity and annoyance. _**"You don't mind if I eat you, right?"**_

The Ghoul pushed up his glasses. "Boy, you really have lost it." he said in displeasure. "Oh well... Nothing I can do about it now." His fingers remained at the bridge of his nose, yet his eyes became enveloped in black and red, and a blue, curly tail emerged from behind him, close to his hip. **"If I go all out, even Shitty Touka and Yomo can't hold up to me, but I doubt you'll last so..."**

A smirk formed on his face. **"Try not to die."**

* * *

 **Next Time: Episode 3: Helter Skelter**

* * *

 _ **Holy shit this was long! I mean, 16K words?! Jesus christ man! Heheh, anyway... I'm glad to see that this story is becoming just as popular as it's original form. Anyway, as you can see, the story has shifted significantly in regards to events, as well as new elements. Also, I apologize if Lelouch seemed out of character, it's actually rather hard trying to depict him in a situation where he meets people who knows him(?), but he doesn't know them. I also apologize for the repetetive hunger bits, but seeing as how Lelouch was recently turned and hadn't eaten anything that held RC cells for over a month and a half, well... I trust you understand.**_

 _ **Anyway, this will be following the manga storyline, so the Doves Emergence Arc will happen first, then the Gourmet Arc. If the title of next chapter doesn't paint a big enough image for ya, Lelouch will be primarily affiliated with Itori, but he will be involved in some way with Anteiku. After all, have to make him mingle with Hinami somehow, right?**_

 _ **Well, that's it for now. You all have a wonderful day or night or weekend, wherever you live, please be safe!**_

 _ **Demons Anarchy of Pride, out!**_


	4. Episode 3: Helter Skelter

**東京グール：花色よりも暗いブラック/** **Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black  
**

 _"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability. If you want to curse something, curse your own weakness." -Haise Sasaki  
_

* * *

 _Episode 3: Helter Skelter  
_

* * *

"...ok like hell~"

"Shut up, woman."

Lelouch groaned as he felt his senses starting to return to him. The first thing to register was a dull, aching pain all over his body, and a bitter, disgusting aftertaste in his mouth, causing him to groan in disgust. "M-mnrgh..."

"Well, looks like he's awake." a female voice noted wryly. Lelouch could have sworn he heard such a light-hearted, teasing tone before... but where? "Compared to you, Nishiki-chan, he looks a lot more better... and a lot more cuter~"

"Oh, for the love of..." Nishiki's voice groaned. "I should have taken him to that old geezer instead of you."

"Oh come now, Nishiki-kun...I'm not THAT bad."

Lelouch lifted himself up from whatever he was resting on, annoyed by the small throbbing in the back of his head. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by an unusual sight.

"...a bar?"

"Yep," the female voice said with a hint of pride. "This is my place. Welcome to Helter Skelter, Lulu-chan~"

"L-Lulu...chan...?" His eye twitched at the nickname. He hadn't been called that since...

He looked to see who was speaking with him. It was a woman with cherry red hair, light colored eyes, and a familiar, Cheshire-like grin across her face. She wore a sleeveless black shirt, though her lower half was not visible, due to being behind the counter. Sitting in front of her on a stool was Nishiki... except he looked as if he had just been beaten down. He had bandages around his neck, and a large bandage on his cheek. His glasses were partially cracked as well.

"Well, look who decided to wake up." Nishiki remarked, greeting him. "Took you long enough."

"Wh-what happened...? Why do you look like that?"

"Did you really forget?" He looked at him incredulously. "You're the one who did this to me. You know, for a string bean, you pack a wallop!"

"I'll say~" the red-haired woman giggled. "The only people I know who can kick the crap out of you like this are Renny and Touka-chan."

"Oi! I'm telling ya! I can take the both of them on whenever I want to!"

"And yet you always get beaten every time~"

Nishiki scowled, turning away, while Lelouch frowned as he lifted himself up, walking over to the two. "So..." he started out. "I guess I should be thanking you?"

"Mm, maybe." the woman shrugged before smiling. "Anyway, my name's Itori. It's nice to meet ya, Lulu-chan~"

Lelouch bit back a scowl. 'Dammit. Even here, I'm called by that infernal nickname.'

"So how are you feeling?" Nishiki asked. "You looked like you were starving back there."

At first, the violet-eyed teen wasn't sure what he was referring to. It was then that he suddenly recalled what had happened, how he was become enticed by the smell of a corpse, and had given into his own hunger, and attacked the Ghoul. He didn't recall what happened afterwards. "...just because I can eat human food without puking it up doesn't mean it actually stops the cravings." Lelouch replied, a hand gingerly touching his lips. "I don't really remember what happened... But I have a nasty aftertaste in my mouth."

"Probably the Ghoul you ate." Itori commented. "I heard everything from Nishiki-kun, and got your situation from Yoshimura. Must be pretty rough, having been made into a Ghoul."

Lelouch looked at the injured teen who nodded, then back at Itori. "...Yeah...it was a lot to swallow."

"Well, hey, at least you've got someone who can look after ya." the woman grinned. "On another note, is it true?"

"What's true?"

"About you being able to eat normal food."

"Yeah..."

"...How was it?"

"It tastes like chewed-up gum." he answered plainly. "Everything tastes so bland, like it has no texture. No grease, no actual flavor."

Itori sighed, obviously disappointed. "Damn," she muttered. "And here I thought you could tell me what wine tastes like!"

"You do realize that I am underage, right?"

"Even so, a girl can hope, right?"

"Oi...No one asked for your input."

Itori gave Nishiki, the owner of that remark, a cute pout. "Your so cruel~"

"Shut up." he replied crudely before looking back to Lelouch. "Seriously, though, you okay? You don't feel hungry anymore?"

Lelouch shook his head. "No... The hunger's mostly gone now." A morbid smile made it's way to his face. "Guess that Ghoul was more satisfying than I thought."

Nishiki looked at him. How could he say that with a smile like that on his face? It was just unnatural.

Then again, ever since that accident, the teen had been unnatural.

It was like he was a different person entirely.

"Well, in the mean time..." Itori said, bringing the man out of his musings as she took out a bottle from the shelf behind her. "Either of you boys care for a drink?"

"That all depends," Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Is that really alcohol? Or is that blood?"

The cherry-haired woman smiled, eyes narrowing. "Ooh, very perceptive." she said, losing her playful tone. "As you can guess, I'm like Nishiki-kun here. As a matter of fact, much like Anteiku in the 24th Ward, Helter Skelter is a bar for Ghouls, though we receive human customers too."

"A bar for Ghouls? But I thought you said you couldn't consume alcohol." He fuddled his brow in confusion.

"We don't. That is why we use fermented blood instead. We can drink it, and it gets us drunk."

Nishiki visibly winced at the mention of that particular fact. Lelouch did not miss the sudden reaction, thinking that perhaps he knew this fact from experience, but did not call him out on it. Instead, he turned back to Itori. "So, in other words, fermented blood is alcohol for Ghouls."

"Bingo~" Itori grinned. "Give the boy a prize!"

"If it is fermented blood, then no thanks." He deadpanned. He had no desire to get drunk.

"Aw, why you gotta be like that, Lulu-chan?" Itori pouted again, eliciting yet another scowl from Lelouch.

"Can you please not call me that?"

"Why not? It's just so adorable~"

"Tch..."

"Just let it go man. It's Itori's way of being nice."

Lelouch sighed in aggravation, and took a seat. "Fine..." he muttered. "But, if I get shit-faced, I'm blaming you, Nishio."

"Whatever man." Nishiki shrugged. Itori grinned as she immediately poured the red liquid into two glass cups, handing it to them.

"Well then, cheers to all~" She chirped as she raised her glass.

"Cheers..." The boys said with less enthusiasm.

 _'Well, least I know who the Milly of this world is,'_ Lelouch thought wryly, taking a sip of the Ghoulish liquor...

...only to start coughing haphazardly, nearly spitting it out after having dranked it. Nishiki looked startled while Itori started to laugh. "First time having alcohol, kiddo?"

"Y-yeah!" He hacked up. The liquid burned his mouth and throat. Who the hell is able to ingest this stuff?!

"It's like coffee with humans," Nishiki told him, able to drink the stuff like it was nothing. "An acquired taste. Also," he pointed to his finger at his eyes. "Your eye is showing."

"Huh?" Looking at his reflection in the blood, he saw that his left eye had changed again. He had to admit, with an eye like this, he really did look like a demon. Still, he did ponder briefly as to why only one of his eyes experienced such a change, whereas the Ghoul he met had a Kakugan present in both of his eyes.

"Sugoi!" Suddenly, the teen found himself reeling back when Itori leaned over the counter, a dazzled expression on her face. "You really are a One-Eyed Ghoul! That is SO cool!"

"Huh...?" Lelouch looked at her strangely. "Why is that cool?"

"Yeah," Nishiki raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of the drink. "The heck is cool about that? If at all anything, it's disgusting."

"Ara?" Itori turned to Nishiki, slightly puzzled before smiling. "I guess you haven't heard then."

The glasses-wearing man expressed annoyance. "Heard what? Just tell us already, woman."

The cherry-haired woman giggled before leaning back, earning Lelouch some well-needed breathing room. "Here's a question for you boys," she said, holding up two fingers and crossed them together. "What do you suppose would happen if a human and a Ghoul got together, and then the magic happened?"

"Well, the logical conclusion would be a hybrid of the two." Lelouch guessed, setting the vile tasting liquid down. It seemed reasonable to him at least. Still, a hybrid of the two... That sounded like his own situation.

"Nope," Itori grinned. "What you'd get... is a corpse."

"...What?" Both teens paused in disbelief.

"It's a reasonable conclusion. I mean, think about it. Ghouls and Humans have completely different diets. If the baby was part Ghoul, then it wouldn't get the nutrients it needs if its mother kept eating human food. Eventually, it will either die, or eat the mother from the inside out."

"There's also the mother to think about as well," Itori added. "If the mother is a Ghoul herself, then her body will mistake the fetus for nutrients, and absorb it."

"And let me guess..." Lelouch leaned in, curious. "There's at least a few who've made it."

"Yep. Although they are VERY rare cases of it happening."

"...I see..." He nodded. So there were many implications for the breeding between a human and a Ghoul.

"It's said that hybrids are stronger than natural-born Ghouls, and have only one Kakugan, just like you." Itori told him. "I've even heard there's a total hellraiser over in the 24th Ward who's supposedly a One-Eyed Ghoul, too."

Nishiki seemed to know who she was referring to, and raised an eyebrow. "Hold up, I thought that dude died ten years ago?" he asked, confused. "I mean, he went up against the CCG's Reaper, right? As far as I know, any Ghoul who fights that son of a bitch ends up six feet under."

"That may be true, but there were no official records of him actually dying in the battle. The only news about that was that the Ghoul's arms were cut off by the Reaper."

"Hold on, back up." Lelouch was more than confused. What the hell were they talking about? "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh that's right...you don't know." Nishiki said.

"We're talking about an event that took place ten years ago." Itori answered. It was a battle between all of the investigators of CCG against a single ghoul, who was known as the One Eyed Owl."

Lelouch immediately took an interest. "One-Eyed Owl?"

"Yep," the bar owner grinned. "You see, the CCG has a rating system, ranking Ghouls based on how long they've been active, their eating habits, their overall fighting capabilities, and the most crucial being their long list of kills. Rize Kamishiro was S-Rated, one of the highest in their database. Her Kagune was pretty dangerous to begin with, but her eating habits made her all that much more terrifying to deal with." A giggle escaped her. "Eating so much in so little time has it's advantages I guess. Anyway, back on topic, the highest rating they have is SSS... and only one Ghoul has that ranking."

"And that," Nishiki added. "Is the One-Eyed Owl. No one really knows much about him, other than that he's a scary son of a bitch who took over the 24th Ward. That alone tells you how tough that guy is."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Wait, there's only 23 Wards here in Tokyo, though." he pointed out. "Is this 24th Ward just an uncharted area? Or a subterranean part?"

"The latter," Itori answered. "The human to Ghoul ratio there is skewed, and cannibalism is a common everyday occurrence there. Not to mention every Ghoul there is considered to be A to S-Rated by CCG Standards. The fact that the Owl made it into his own little abode tells you just how much heat he's packing."

"Damn..." That was all Lelouch could say. "It sounded like he went through hell and emerged victorious."

"That's about it in a nutshell."

"Of course, because of how strong he is, there aren't many Investigators who can deal with him." Itori waved her hand. "As far as I know, the only person who ever stood against him was the kid who became the Undefeated Ghoul Investigator."

Lelouch recalled hearing that term before, having read various articles on the Comission of Counter Ghoul. "...Kishou Arima," he said the man's name. "He was considered to be one of the youngest to join the CCG, and also held the achievement of reaching Special Class, the highest ranking in the entire organization, when he was only in his twenties."

"Yep, and he's the scariest guy you'll ever meet." the woman giggled, a dark smile on her face. "Any Ghoul who's ever seen the Reaper will not live to tell the tale. Not a single Ghoul has ever survived against him, nor has any ever escaped from him. That's partially the reason why he's called the Undefeated Ghoul Investigator." Another giggle escaped her. "Of course, there's another reason."

"And what's that?"

She smirked. "Not a single Ghoul... has ever laid so much as a finger on him."

"Seriously?!"

"Quite. In all his battles, not a single Ghoul has so much laid a scratch on him. They just weren't able to. He was too skilled."

Lelouch was floored. What he just heard... it was physically impossible. No one held such skill. There shouldn't even be anyone who could perform what he did. But... no ghoul had ever touched him? Was such a thing possible?

 _'Is Kishou Arima even human?'_

"About ten years ago, the One-Eyed Owl attacked the main branch of the CCG, and laid waste to it." Itori explained. "A lot of Investigators were killed as a result, but the Owl got himself injured and had to flee. The next day, though, he came right back in." A curious expression crossed her face. "Although, unlike the last time, there was a lot of people injured, but no one died. It's weird, but it still proved just how terrifying the Owl was. Unfortunately, he ran into Arima that day. Supposedly, he's dead, but all we really know is that he just got his arms chopped off."

"That...really is strange..." First the Owl Shows up, kills masses of people, flees, then returns and hurts but doesn't kill anyone? It didn't make sense. It was as if the Owl was a different person entirely.

"Anyway..." Itori leaned forward again, but nowhere close to his face like last time. "The One-Eyed Owl earned that name because, supposedly..." She closed her right eye, and her left revealed a black sclera and a red iris. "He has only one Kakugan..."

"...just like a One-Eyed Ghoul." Lelouch finished, folding his arms. "As if he were a hybrid."

"Bingo~" The woman sang, a cheery grin on her face. "Your a smart one, Lulu-chan!"

Lelouch ignored the nickname. But the circumstances made sense. If hybrids really were stronger than normal Ghouls, then it's not out of the question for a hybrid to be classified as an SSS rated Ghoul.

Still, the situation ten years ago still seemed shady to him. If a Ghoul that powerful existed, then why did it refrain from killing humans? What was it trying to do back then?

 _'It feels like there's something missing...'_ he pondered. _'...Oh, well. It isn't as if it actually involves me... but still, it does sound interesting.'_

Indeed. This topic was intriguing. He would have to find out more of what happened at a later date.

"By the by," Itori said as she stood up straighter. "Lulu-chan, I have a proposition for you."

"huh? What is it?" he questioned.

Itori grinned. "How would you like to work here, at Helter Skelter?"

"...eh?"

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Uta had always considered himself a calm person, regardless of the past. He was willing to admit he was a bit troublesome when he was younger, but that was the past. No more, no less. If there was one thing that kept him from actually lashing out in anger, it was his masks. He always put detail into them, crafting them in all sorts of manners. Ever since he started this business, he always considered his customers tastes and values, as well as their character. The masks would always fit them perfectly, as if it were a glove, because he modeled them after his customers, each best representing who they were.

Right now, he was sitting at a stool, a Styrofoam head in front of him, which was covered by his latest work. It was a half-mask that covered the lower half of the face, resembling a gas mask of sorts, with only a single strap going over the head. It was one of his more recent works, one of four he felt an urge to design. Before this were two other masks, one being a red helmet, and the other a visor with an insect-like motif to it. He was quite pleased with himself, and so far the mask was going well. After this, he decided he would work on a full mask.

As he worked on the small cylinder pieces on the jaw, he heard the sound of a doorbell ringing, immediately catching his attention. Right now, his shop was closed, so he wasn't going to receive visitors... at least, not the human kind. He stopped momentarily, pulling down his headphones, and turned his head to see someone entering his studio.

He smiled somewhat. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customer," he said pleasantly. "What can I do for you?"

His customer was a young girl, somewhere in her teens, 15 or 16, with long brown hair, and beautiful violet eyes. She was dressed wearing a simple, white shirt with a green hoodie over it, and below, a dark blue skirt with black leggings, complete with a pair of white boots. She sported a smile, nodding back in greeting. "Not much, Uta-san," the girl said, scratching her cheek as she smiled bashfully. "Other than that I came for a replacement mask for Ayato-kun... He went and broke it again."

Uta sighed, shaking his head. "When will he learn..."

"So what did he do this time?" The mask maker asked the girl.

"The usual," the girl shrugged. "Get into a fight with Yakumo-san. Those two don't get along at all, and if weren't for me or Nico-san, they probably would have killed each other."

Uta smiled wryly as he hopped off his stool, moving to his counter. "Kirishima-kun must be lucky if he has you looking out for him." he said as he lowered himself down, opening the small compartment. Inside were an assortment of masks, each of a different design. "He's lucky I have a bad habit of making copy masks." He pulled out a face-mask from inside the compartment. It was black with dark swirls for eyes, and a deranged, toothy grin for a mouth.

He handed it to the girl, who took it gladly. "Sorry about this, Uta-san."

"It's no trouble..." he assured her. "Just tell him to be careful next time. Oh, and tell him Touka-chan sends her regards."

The girl nodded. "I'll try to...but he's pretty adamant about not making contact with her lately..."

"I see...him and that stubborn pride of his..."

The girl smiled sheepishly. "Well, I can kinda understand where he's coming from..." she said, fully understanding his reasons. "Anyway, how much do I owe you?"

"You a regular customer, and a valued one at that," he told her simply, smiling. "You don't have to pay me."

"I see... Well, thank you, either way." she said, slipping the mask into her jacket. "Thanks a bunch!" Uta smiled as she turned to walk away, about to go back to his work when his instincts suddenly flared in the back of his head. "Oh... Before I forget..."

Instantly, he whirled around, and slammed his hands on the blade that would have cut him in half. It was a Kagune, dark violet in color with red cracks all along the edge, covering the woman's arm entirely. Her smile was gone, replaced with a cold glare. Her right eye had changed, developing a black darkness all around a red orb in the center. _'Yare, yare...'_ he groaned mentally. _'Her Koukaku is as terrifying as ever.'_

"...you broke your promise." her tone had changed, going from light hearted to cold, almost like ice. Her eyes were like piercing daggers. "You swore nothing would happen to him."

Uta's feet were well planted on the ground, and his grip on the Kagune was solid. "I said I would keep an eye on him..." he replied calmly, as if he wasn't facing death in the face right now. "I never said nothing would happen. Besides, Souta wasn't exactly aware of who the boy with Rize was."

"Even so...you did nothing to help him! Now he's like me!" She barked back.

"I'm not the person who orders the Chief, little miss. He is his own boss."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you didn't do anything to help him!" she screamed, anger clear in her voice. "You could have saved him from Rize!"

Uta sighed. Really, this was why he had so much trouble dealing with her... she always had emotion high in her being, always so caring of others... Well, most, more than others. She made her dislike over Rize clear. "As I said, orders were orders." he stated. "And we were not also aware of what Kanou was doing."

The girl gritted her teeth, her Kagune slowly receding into her back. Uta didn't relax, however. If he did, and she blew up again, he knew he'd be a dead man. "...That still doesn't change anything..." she said harshly. "I never wanted Onii-chan to end up like this."

"You underestimate him, you know." he told her. "After all, he's Kisuke and Miyako's son."

"Nrgh!" She huffed and looked away. But he had a point...he was their son after all.

Uta smiled playfully. "Besides, Yoshimura said he'd look out for him in case something happened." he told her, causing her to pout. "Besides, from what I heard from Itori, he really ripped Nishio a new one." At this, the man's face became solemn. "The fact that he has Rize's organs in him means that Aogiri will be taking an interest in him, sooner or later." he stated. The girl's face became darkened, her fists trembling slightly. "And I doubt it will be long before they realize just who that boy really is..."

He turned to look at her. "You do realize that... right?"

"...I know..." She muttered and turned away. "But...there is no way I'll just let them take him. He's my brother, and I swear to protect him!"

"Hehe...it's kinda funny...the younger sister protecting the older brother..."

"Can't you say the same about Ayato-kun?"

"Hm, touche~"

She giggled. In a sense, she and Ayato were similar. They are both trying to protect their older siblings from the cruelty of the world. Speaking of which...maybe she'd visit Touka and Yoshimura again. But she had to be sure Luka didn't see her.

"I've heard of women having mood swings, but your something else." the mask maker remarked as he sat down on his stool. "One moment your trying to kill me, the next, we're back to being friends."

"Well, that's the beauty of our relationship."

"If you say so," he shrugged, taking up a screw into his hand. "By the by... on the off chance I make Luka-kun a mask, what do you think his would be?"

The girl paused to think. That was pretty difficult to think of...

"Well... I think he might have a full mask, or a half-mask." she replied after some deep thought. "It might have a Frankenstein motif to it, though, and maybe an eyepatch... But it would also have something to make it really stand out, something that screams Onii-chan."

"A Frankenstein-motif..." Uta thought. "...That certainly would be something to stand out."

"Or he could prefer something that gives it a real flare." she continued. "Like a full mask, something that could really give him a dramatic flare."

"Flare you say...?" Uta now folded his hands. "You mean something that screams grand debut?"

"Yeah." she nodded. "Something like that."

"Hmmm..." Uta moved his stool over to the canvas beside him, a pencil in his hand.

"You have an idea already?"

"Something like that..."

His pencil was already against the canvas, sketching out the mask. His arm was moving at an erratic pace before he pulled back, revealing a rough sketch of the mask itself. It was a full helmet with five prongs, giving it an appearance of a crown of some sort, revealing a purple orb at the very center of the mask, along with a golden tailing below it.

"Ooh...That looks interesting..." the girl complimented as she looked over his shoulder.

"Does this have a dramatic flare?" Uta asked curiously.

"Yep!"

Uta smiled slightly. "Good to know."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

When Lelouch returned home, he found a small package hanging from his doorknob. Stuck to it was a note.

 _ **"Just a little something to tide you over until you get some real food~" -Itori.**_

He smiled wryly as he removed the contents from the bag. It was a parcel of some kind, but if the smell was any indication, it was definitely not ordinary food. "I guess she's not all bad," he remarked as he stepped inside his apartment.

He closed the door and made his way to the kitchen table before opening the package.

It was a small lump of meat, likely human flesh, and provided a wonderful smell. Beside him, Rize poked her head over his shoulder. _**"Mm, looks good~**_ " she giggled. **_"You gonna eat it?"_**

"Do I really have much of a choice?" he replied.

He ripped a piece off and plopped it into his mouth. His eyes widened from the flavor invading his taste buds.

The apparition giggled. **_"Well, I see someone's embraced their nature."_**

"Shut up." Lelouch stated simply as he tore off another piece of meat. "But I won't deny it. There is no use rejecting what I am now. Nothing would change."

Rize seemed to raise an eyebrow at this, tilting her head at his words. _**"Ara? Not going to rebuke me?"**_

"Only when your being annoying."

 ** _"Mou...you are so mean Luka-kun..."_** She pouted.

"Shut up." Lelouch snapped as he tore off a bigger piece, tossing into his mouth.

He continued to ignore her words as he tried to enjoy his meal.

Rize huffed in annoyance as she reeled back, her presence fading away. Lelouch tossed the last piece into his mouth, gulping it down with relish.

"Haa...that was good..." He muttered. he no longer felt hungry, which was a plus.

He placed his hand over his face, reclining back to the bed behind him, looking up at the ceiling. "Talk about a helluva day..."

He grimaced, recalling the flavor of the fermented blood. He was still a bit tipsy.

 _'Note to self,'_ he thought. ' _Never drink Ghoul liquor.'_

He didn't like the drink. It burned his mouth and messed with his head.

He groaned, falling flat on his back. Just remembering the drink was enough to make him nauseous.

"I guess this is why I shouldn't drink..." He mused.

At least now he knew how potent alcohol was... and he really didn't want to find out how the stuff would affect him if he were still human.

He shuddered to think what could've happened to him.

"Still..." Lelouch muttered. "Never thought I'd start working at a bar." He smiled wryly. "A Ghoul, and an exiled prince walk into a bar... I wonder what the punchline is?"

Well, he supposed things could've been worse. After all, he was a person taken from his world into a different one where there were beings that preyed upon humans for sustenance.

Of course, he was also confused about this life he now led. He still wasn't sure who Luka Mezame was, nor the circumstances of why he was orphaned, nor what had happened to Nanako.

But nevertheless, he was determined to find out more about this world and his host's life.

 _'There's still the matter of my Geass being back to it's initial state.'_ Lelouch recalled, his hand gingerly touching his left eye.

Things just didn't make sense. Why was he even here? He should've died.

He sighed in frustration, turning over to his side. There was too much to think about... At the very best, he could sort this tomorrow.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"Ohayo, Uta-kun."

Itori was again behind the counter, cleaning small glasses when the mask maker entered the bar. She didn't even need to look up to know it was him when he entered.

"Hello, Itori." Uta greeted, taking a seat up at the counter. "So, how's things?"

"Pretty good. Lulu-chan is a pretty interesting character."

"Oh, I see you met him."

"Yep," she grinned. "And she's officially my slave~"

"Careful," Uta warned her with a smile. "If the little miss heard you say that, you might end up with a Kagune in your skull."

"I know I know..." She waved it off. "That girl can be pretty lethal when needs be."

"And perhaps a bit too emotional." he remarked. "She tried to kill me earlier when she asked for a mask replacement for Kirishima-kun. She wears her heart on her sleeve." A small smile crossed his lips. "She's just like her mother that way."

"Let me guess..." Itori drawled. "This about Souta?"

"Yep." He nodded. "She was pretty pissed at me for not stopping him. But there's no going against the boss."

"True..." the woman nodded. "So, what's the story? We going to keep an eye on the kid?"

"Yeah. Otherwise she would resent us for not keeping her brother safe."

"That, and she just might take down every last clown." Itori giggled. "So, what's the latest?"

"Nothing much. But based on Rizes activity, it seems like the CCG is going to send Doves over into this ward."

"Figured as much..." Uta muttered, a hand on his face as he leaned on it lazily. "Any word from Nico about Aogiri?"

"Ever since Souta got rid of Rize, Aogiri's got it's panties in a twist. Right now, they're trying to track down Lulu-chan as we speak, considering he is the last person to be with her."

"...and?"

Itori raised an eyebrow. "And what?"

"What happens when they learn who he is?"

"Oh..." She didn't really think of that. But after realizing this...she actually shuddered to think what would happen.

Luka being an artificial One-Eyed Ghoul with the ability to ingest human food without vomiting it up was one thing, but if they learned that he had Rize's organs? Much less being Nanako's older brother?

They would be on the hunt for him. Wanting him either dead or alive.

"...then I guess we don't got much choice BUT to protect him." Itori sighed in depression, hanging her head. "If anything happens, she's gonna have our heads on a platter."

"That's assuming you-know-who doesn't take an interest in him." Uta pointed out. "After all, she's not one to let such a person of interest escape her. On the best case scenario, Luka-kun ends up with her, which may or may not be a good thing. Worst case scenario, Tatara deems him a threat. That simple."

"And that'll lead to the One-Eyed Demon going on a rampage," the cherry-head woman said. "And when she gets started, nothing will stop her. Not even the One-Eyed Owl."

"Yeah..." He nodded. "...I doubt there is a ghoul who can even stand up to her."

"Well, she's not called a demon for nothing," Itori pointed out. "Still, though... You have to admit." A wide grin formed on her face, her true self becoming exposed since the man walked in. "This is going to be some seriously fun stuff to see~"

"I agree." A similar grin also appeared on Uta's face. "I'm interested in how this all plays out..."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

As the next day arrived, Lelouch was once again at Kamii University, this time accompanied by an unlikely pair. If the clear look of annoyance on Nishiki's face was any indication, it was clear he was not enjoying their company... or at least one of them.

"Why the heck are you tagging along, Nagachika?" he asked, his tone making it obvious that he wanted the boy to leave. "Kaneki, I get, but what's the occasion?"

"Oh, come on, Nishiki...!" the blonde sighed. "I keep telling ya, I'm sorry for interrupting your fun time with Kimi!"

Kaneki's face turned bright red at the mention of this incident, while Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?" he asked. "Wait, don't tell me... Nagachika walked in on you and Kimi making out."

"Close," Kaneki said. "I think they were about to..." His blush resurfaced. "Well... Ya know..."

It was at that moment that Lelouch understood what he was talking about. His cheeks were now flecked with red. "...Ah...I see..."

"Again, I'm sorry." Hide insisted with his apology. "Besides, how was I supposed to know you two were gonna go at it?!"

Nishiki growled. "It's called 'knocking.' Try it sometime."

Lelouch rolled his eyes at their antics.

Still, he had to admit... times like this brought back the peaceful memories, or what little of them he had, back in his world. Hide was like Rivalz, and Itori was obviously like Milly, and so far, from what he saw, Kaneki might have been like how Nina was in the beginning, only instead of technology, his desires lied in books.

It was uncanny how much they resembled one another. It was pretty strange.

 _'Though, I don't want to know what the C.C. of this world is like.'_

He shuddered to think about it. One was bad enough in his world. But another one?!

"Something wrong, Mezame-san?" Kaneki asked, noticing the slight shiver.

Lelouch waved him off, telling him it was nothing, little more than a passing chill. Eventually, they had to split up, being in different classes. They had promised to meet up later, and then went about their way. Lelouch was once again in history class, only this time, the subject was again placed in Japan, specifically in the early years. The teacher had also not left out the existence of Ghouls, proving that they have been around for a long time, but the question was how long had they been around? Sadly, there was no answer, but he did learn one thing about the lecture, which, if the disdain in the teacher's voice was a clear indication, he was not a fan of Ghouls.

 _'So, the Wasshu Clan became the founding group of the CCG.'_ Lelouch thought. _'Hm, interesting..._ '

So it was a single family that created the sole organization tasked with the eradication of Ghouls? Truly, human potential is a scary thing indeed.

 _'Then again,'_ he grinned. _'I know that better than anyone else. After all, I did create the United Federation of Nations. Speaking of which, I wonder how things are going over there?'_

Once again, he wished to know what was transpiring back in his own world. Was everyone doing alright? Was the peace he built lasting?

Dammit, he wished he knew what was happening!

"You seem to be lost in thought, monsieur~"

"Huh?" Lelouch snapped out of his thoughts. He was now staring at a blue haired man standing before him.

He was rather handsome, that much Lelouch was willing to admit, dressed in a fashionable attire, a black jacket with a dark blue jacket, and a pair of slacks, along with two intersecting belts that hung off to the sides.

"You seemed troubled." he answered, a small smile on his face. "Especially with that frown on your face, monsieur."

"Er, beg pardon, but..." he frowned. "Who are you?"

"Ah...my name is Shuu Tsukiyama." He bowed elegantly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, monsieur."

"Tsukiyama..." Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "As in, the Tsukiyama Group Conglomerate?

"Exactly!" He spoke in English. "I am glad that someone knows of my family..."

Lelouch shrugged his shoulders. "It would be hard not to." he explained. "Especially since their easily one of the largest corporations in Japan. They have a lot of influence regarding the pharmaceutical aspects."

During his research on this new world, he came across the Tsukiyama group...just about anywhere.

Medical works, politics, it was a giant corporation, and has been highly successful in several years. He was very impressed with it's long-standing achievements.

"I see," Shuu smiled. "I must say, I'm very impressed."

"Meh. I'm more of a studious type. It's just something I came across."

"Even still, very impressive." the man smiled. "By chance, would you be Mezame-san? I've heard quite a bit about you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, quite. I heard you survived a nasty accident the other night."

He gave a grimace at the mention of the incident. While he held little memories, or rather, of Luka's memories, of that accident, he still remembered Rize's visage, a sickening grin and her Kagune emerging from her back, and blood smeared across her mouth. She looked like a demon straight from hell with such a crazed appearance.

"I suppose." he answered before looking back at Shuu. "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, to be perfectly frank..." he smiled back at him. Something about that smile unnerved him... He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about that smile seemed to set him on edge. "I was actually curious about you."

"Me?" He raised an eyebrow. Why would anyone be interested in him? He learned from Luka's memories that he wasn't anyone outstanding. He usually kept to himself.

"Of course," Shuu told him. "I've seen you browse the library quite often, and you have a bad habit of keeping to yourself. By any chance, are you a fan of the work, Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"

"You mean the story of the Chinese Generals centuries ago?"

"Yes. Quite a fascinating tale, is it not?"

For a moment, Lelouch felt a passionate smile cross his face. "To be perfectly honest, I prefer works from Shakespeare, or something more classical works."

"Such as?"

"I admire his tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. But his comedies are quite intriguing as well."

"Such as a Midsummer Night's Dream?" Shuu asked, earning a nod in reply. The man smiled widely. "On the subjects of tragedies, what do you think of Sen Takatsuki? Specifically, her Black Goat's Egg piece?"

"One of my favorites." He answered. "The piece is a nice twist of horror and tragedy, delving deeper into the protagonist's character. I enjoyed the idea of how he realizes that he slowly turns into a 'monster'. Sen Takatsuki truly is a magnificent author to devise such a thing."

Shuu was practically grinning at this point, sitting atop the desk beside him. "It's rare to see someone who can appreciate books as well as myself." he said with enthusiasm. "To be honest, whenever I read a book, I feel myself becoming lost in it, as if I'm walking in the character's shoes. It's quite a thrilling experience, and for a while, it makes me feel as if I'm in my own little world."

"I can understand the feeling." Lelouch replied. He had to admit, despite all the warning signs this guy screamed, he was actually decent to talk to. Of course, that didn't mean he could let his guard down. "Although, I am wondering about the author herself."

"Oh?" Shuu inquired, tilting his head in inquery.

"Well..." the violet-eyed teen scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words. "The tragedies she rights seem to reflect her own emotions. Every book reflects, to some degree, the author's mentality, emotions, or past. To me, it seems she's suffering, or that she's given into despair, and has lost hope on the whole damned world." A wry smile crossed his face. "Of course, that's how it seems to me."

"I see..." Shuu rested a hand on his mouth in thought. "...That is an interesting way to look at a piece of literature. Sen Takatsuki's especially."

"Like I said, that's how it seems to me."

"Oi, Tsukiyama-san!" The two paused, looking to the door to see a student in the entrance. "Are you coming or what?!"

" _Je serai avec vous sous peu!_ " Shuu replied in French, before turning to Lelouch. "Pardon, but it seems like my clubmate is getting rather impatient."

"Your in a club?"

" _Oui, monsieur_." the man smiled. "I'm in three, actually. The Equestrian, the Book Keeper, and the Chess Club." Upon hearing those last two words, Lelouch's eyes lit up. Chess... now that's something he hasn't played in a very long time. "The Chess Club is playing a game right now in the library..." Shuu explained, smiling. "Would you care to join?"

He took a moment to decide. He hasn't played a game at all ever since he came here. Maybe now's a good chance to get some practice. "As a matter of fact, I would."

" _Magnifique_!"

The man was smiling widely, and informed his clubmate.

He was quite impressed with the young man. Ever since they passed each other months ago, Shuu Tsukiyama had been rather interested in Luka Mezame. The first thing that caught his interest was those eyes of his. The emotion displayed was an uncaring attitude to the world, caring little of anything, as if dead to the world, while the color of his eyes provided an ephemeral beauty, almost like illustrious gems. He contemplated taking them, but relented when he recalled he had already acquired eyes beforehand. The restaurant truly loved fine quality cuisine, but two of the same would be something of a boor. The second thing that stood out was his recent presence. Since returning from the accident, he carred himself not like a loner or a corpse, but almost like an aristocrat, someone who could understand the finer things. His eyes shone with brilliance, and that immediately called for interest.

The catcher was his scent.

It was...mesmerizing to say the least. It was more exquisite than that of a human's.

 _'I wonder how he would taste...?_ ' the Gourmet wondered with a smile etched into his face as he walked out of the classroom with the illustrious teen in tow. _'I can't be too hasty though... After all,'_ his grin became menacing. _'We have all the time in the world.'_

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"Sen-chan, how many times have I told you...!"

The bespectacled man sighed in frustration. He was Sen Takatsuki's manager.

In front of him was the book writer herself, a small smile on her face as she scratched the back of her head. "Hahahaha..." she laughed bashfully. "Gomen, gomen~" Sen was a young woman with light green hair, albeit of a much darker shade in contrast to a certain witch back in Lelouch's homeworld, dressed in a white knit sweater and a plain brown skirt.

There's also a pair of break lines between each other, but no words. It's during Lelouch's announcement.

She was once again late to a book signing event.

"Well, at least your here a few minutes rather than half an hour..." the man mumbled. "Anyway, where were you?"

"Oh...just handling some other business..." She responded.

"That's pretty vague..."

The manager sighed again, but didn't let it get to him all that much. Besides, it was better for him that she was here earlier than she usually was on days like this. Today was a book signing for her latest book, the Black Goat's Egg, which had recently become a best seller. In retrospect, it was not surprising, especially given how she was bringing a new meaning to the tragedy genre.

"Well, whatever." the man said. "Anyway, the doors will be opening soon. You'd better get ready."

"Hai, hai..." the green-haired woman smiled, skipping past him.

It had been a while since she had some downtime like this. Maybe she would see someone interesting this time around.

Speaking of interesting people, she wondered how that boy was doing.

Her lips curled into a mischievous grin.

"I hope he shows up today~"

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"...and checkmate." Lelouch announced, slamming his King piece down on the board with a triumphant grin.

His opponent and the crowd surrounding them could only look on in awe. In just a small number of moves, Lelouch had grasped victory.

"H-how..."

"It's quite simple really..." He rested his fingers on his temple. "Your first few moves left you wide open."

Shuu clapped his hands. "Very impressive, Mezame-sam." he applauded. "I've never seen someone talented. I'm impressed, especially since you beat Kushina-senpai."

"Yeah," a member of the club nodded in agreement. "He's the best chess player we have.. hell, he's in the top ten in Japan!"

Lelouch chuckled. "Just because he's one of the best in Japan doesn't make him the best in the world."

It was reality. No matter how good someone was, there will always be someone better.

"Your rather terrifying, Mezame-san." Shuu chuckled. "Still, I must ask... Why did you start with the King the first chance you got?"

Lelouch grinned. "If a King doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

The others looked at him. His words...actually hold some merit.

Shuu, on his part, was only more interested.

For a King to lead...It sounded as if Luka knew a thing or two about leadership.

"What's up with that?" one of the members asked, laughing from the sound of it. "You plan on becoming a big CEO of a corporation?"

A moment of deja vu took Lelouch over for a moment, having heard those words before. "Heh, no way." he replied. "Ambitions like that are bad for your health."

"Heh...well you got me there."

"Then again," another member cackled, looking at Shuu. "I suppose Tsukiyama-senpai doesn't have any problems becoming a big time boss! I mean, his family runs the biggest corporation in Japan!"

The young man laughed at the remark. "Please, you flattering me!" he said joyly. "Although, I must admit, the idea of taking over Papa's corporation is an interesting prospect."

"Or you could go big as a model." Lelouch put in his two cents. "Seriously, you'd make a killing."

"Luka-kun's got a point." a senior member pointed out. "Seriously, man, ever day, you dress like a damned role model!"

"Do I now...?" He took a moment to think, slipping into a pose not unlike what was model would do.

"See! See?!" the member shouted. "Your doing it right now!"

"Really?" He slipped into another pose.

"Okay. Now I KNOW you are doing this on purpose..."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "I see someone enjoys living the high life..." he muttered as he stood up. "Well, I better get going."

"Heeeeeeeeh?" a younger member gaped. "C-come on, please? One more round!"

"Sorry, but I need to get going." he apologized. "I need to run a few errands before I head home. It's a favor for Kimi."

"Eh? Kimi-senpai?"

"Yeah. She wanted me and Nishiki to help out with the upcoming festival."

"Oh, right..." Shuu nodded in understanding. "I had almost forgotten about that..."

"Yeah. So I'll see you guys later."

As he was about to leave, Shuu suddenly recalled something in the back of his mind. Slowly, a plan began to form in his head, making him grin. "...actually, Mezame-san," he called out, causing Lelouch to stop. "Do you mind if I come with?" Lelouch turned, raisin an eyebrow. "I heard that Takatsuki-san has a book signing today."

"Really? I didn't know that." Now he got his attention. "Where is she signing?"

"I believe it's by Sunshine."

"Huh, now that's a coincidence." Lelouch remarked. "That's where I have to run errands." A small smile formed on his face. "Well, I don't see a problem, so why not?"

"C'est Magnifique!" Shuu grinned. "Well, then!"

As the two left together, Lelouch eyed him cautiously. It was clear by their interactions that the man had something planned. What it was, he had no idea, but he already had him pegged. His smell was a dead giveaway. _'A Ghoul at Kamii...'_ he thought wryly. _'And here I thought Nishio was the only one... I could use my Geass, but I have no guarantee that it's the same power I had before. For all I know, it could have changed, since this isn't my body to begin with. For now, I'll simply play along...'_

He had an idea of what Shuu wanted from him...and he wasn't just about to roll over and let him do as he pleased. He wasn't about to be eaten.

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

Yoshimura was slightly troubled as Irimi and Touka went about their daily routine. The 20th Ward was usually so peaceful, which he preferred... and then Rize appeared, and now, everything was spiraling out of control. Doves would no doubt be sent here, but what really worried him was Aogiri's movements. They had been relatively quiet lately, which was usually never a good thing, as it could be considered the calm before the storm.

Worst of all, however... was Luka. He was half-Ghoul now.

The matter was unsettling, especially since it took place after Rize's disappearance.

The chances of Luka's organ donor being Rize, especially given his nature right now, were quite high. Of course, that in itself was not the problem. If he recalled correctly, Rize was being pursued by some rather... unsavory figures, one of them being Jason of the 13th Ward. While having not encountered him personally, Yoshimura knew how demented the man was, and how sick and twisted he could be. The way things stood now, things would be anything BUT peaceful around here.

Even worse, Nanako's brother would be caught in the fray. He could only imagine what lengths the young girl would take in order to protect her brother.

He sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. So much trouble, in so short a time... Sometimes he wondered if there was no such thing as peaceful days.

With everything going on...it was only a matter of time before the 20th ward descended into chaos.

"You alright, manager?" Koma asked. Yoshimura left his thoughts as he turned to the man, who appeared to be concerned. "Let me guess... It's about Mezame-kun, isn't it?"

"Correct." The elderly owner nodded. "I fear that he may be a target of Aogiri."

"Well, he was with Rize-chan, so I guess he would..." Koma rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before a grin formed. "But, he's got his little sister looking out for him. Not to mention, he's got us of Anteiku ready to look after him, case shit hits the fan. Hell, he's even got the Devil Ape on his side~"

"That's right." Irimi added as she walked in on their conversation. "Don't think that Aogiri is just going to take him without a fight."

Yoshimura could only smile at the two.

They had come a long way from when he first met them. They were the leaders of their respective gangs, the Ape Faces and Black Dogs, as well as bitter enemies.

Who would have imagined that they would become such friends? Perhaps he owed that to the current times, however bitter they were at times.

"By the way, manager." Irimi spoke up. "I just got a message from Itori. It seems like Luka-kun has started working at Helter Skelter."

"is that so?"

"wow...I wish him luck then. He's going to need it." Koma said.

"Please," Irimi rolled her eyes. "Your exaggerating."

"You of all people should know what Itori is like, Kaya." Koma told her. "Hell, don't you remember what she made the last poor guy who wanted to work there just to get in her pants had to wear?"

"I believe we all know what you mean, Koma." Yoshimura chuckled. "After all, she did send us pictures."

It had been an amusing sight. The poor man looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Well, it's simply a matter of whether or not he can handle working with her." Yoshimura replied, grinning slightly. "Well, I suppose it's better to wait and see what happens."

"I suppose..." Koma shrugged. "Still, gotta admit, it's kinda sad what happened to him." A sad smile formed on his face. "And she tried so hard to keep him away from this world of ours."

"As sad as it is to admit, I'm afraid it was inevitable." the old Ghoul stated. "Given who his parents were, it was only a matter of time before he became involved in our world."

"Indeed. It almost seemed as if fate has made its decision for him."

Irimi sighed slightly, looking out the window. "...it's still a bit sad, no matter how you look at it."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

It had been less than an hour since Amon, alongside Mado, had arrived at the 20th Ward Branch Office, and he had to say, he rather slightly enjoyed the small peace and quiet.

It was a nice change compared to the hectic chaos that usually took place in the other wards. In those areas, Ghouls were more frequent to appear and rather hostile.

Despite it being quiet though, they knew why they were here. The Binge Eater.

"I must admit, this Binge Eater hides herself quite well." Mado chuckled as they left the archives room. "And her track record is astounding."

Amon raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by, she, sir?"

"If you look closely, Amon-kun..." the old man handed him the documents related to their target, the younger Investigator taking them into his hands. "80% of the victims were young males, ranging between the ages of 18 to 30. Given that, it's a safe assumption the Binge Eater is female. Also, keep in mind, that when I say 80% of her victims, I mean all of them, not just the ones found in the other wards. It seems like she was based in the 11th Ward for a time, likely getting rid of the Ghoul group maintaining order there in order to freely binge eat to her heart's content before moving on."

Amon nodded at this logic. "A fair assumption." he stated before looking at the details of the case. "It also says here, based on the camera feed, that the Binge Eater had an encounter with the 13th Ward's Jason." A frown settled on his face. "Two S-Rated Ghouls is troubling enough... but what's Jason doing here in the 20th Ward? Moreover, why was he after the Binge Eater?"

"Who can say, really?" Mado chuckled. "From what we know, Aogiri's been after her for whatever reasons. However, a few weeks ago, all binge eating activities have come to a halt." A gloved hand came up to his chin "Not only that, but I recall hearing about an accident around that same time as well. Something about two college students?"

At the mention of this incident, Amon winced, which the old man had not missed. "Rize Kamishiro, and Luka Mezame, 20 and 18 years of age."

"Mezame?" Mado raised an eyebrow, confused at first. Then, a smile formed on his face. "Oh, that's right. He's Kisuke's boy, isn't he?"

"...hai."

"Haa...its been a long time since his death. I always wondered how the boy and his little sister were doing since then."

"Nanako-chan is still missing." Amon told the old man, sadness clear in his voice. "And Luka-kun is attending Kamii University."

"Kamii, eh?" Mado smiled. "Like father, like son, I suppose."

"Indeed." Amon nodded.

"Now that I think about it, weren't you originally assigned to be Kisuke's partner, Amon-kun?"

"I was...but that was before...the incident happened..." He spoke solemnly.

Mado nodded in understanding, understanding how the young man felt. It was always a saddening feeling to lose someone so well respected, but to the few people who knew Associate Special Class Kisuke Mezame, it was heart-rending. He never met the man personally, but he was an odd ball. He always asked questions about Ghouls, questions people might have thought about, or never asked. "Why do Ghouls exist?" "Where did they come from?" "Why do they hunt humans?" "Can we co-exist with them?" That last one personally made the old man laugh. Co-exist with Ghouls? Hah! What idiocy! How the hell could one ever hope to live side-by-side with monsters like them?!

Although... perhaps it was because of that mentality that he was very well regarded. He worked with him a few times, and Mado could honestly say he was a damn good man. He prioritized the lives of his subordinates over the mission, a quality very few in the CCG lacked. Of course, he would often abandon the mission for the sake of his comrades, which put him into a league of his own.

It had been little wonder he was an Associate Special Class. Were it not for the incident, Kisuke would have become a Special Class.

It had been years since then...but the loss of him was still fresh in everyone's minds.

The only thing that they had left of him was his Quinque.

Mado had done everything he could to repair it. It was still a work in process, and was close to being back to perfect condition. But as it stands now, It is still far off from what it once was. But it didn't deter the eccentric man in the slightest. He WILL restore Kisuke's Quinque for it's complete glory.

"After we're done here," Mado said somberly. "We should pay our respects."

Amon nodded strongly in agreement.

The young Investigator hasn't known the man for a long time, but he has come to view him as a precious comrade and role model.

"...Mado-san, when we have the time," Amon spoke up, his face somber. "I'd like to visit Luka-kun."

Mado raised an eyebrow, but didn't question him. Though he sincerely doubted that the violet-eyed teen would recognize him, given how long it has been since their meeting. After all, he was but a child when they last met, and Amon was still in the Academy.

"Alright," he granted the man permission. "But, first things first, let's deal with the Binge Eater. Her last known appearance was at the Tokyo Tower, where she crossed paths with Jason."

"I see. I take it would be best to find answers regarding those pliers?"

"Exactly!" Mado grinned. "And the best place to look..." His eyes gleamed darkly, madness and cruelty reflected clearly in his bulging socket. "Is to ask the vermin in town."

 **-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-**

"I knew you said she was having a book signing, but you sure as hell didn't tell me she was having a celebrity gathering." Lelouch replied, gaping at the size of the line outside the store. It was unbelievable, stretching all the way to the corner of the street, and as expected, everyone was holding a copy of books written by Sen Takatsuki herself. "I didn't realize she was this popular."

"I know, it's terrifying, isn't it?" Shuu chuckled at his remark. "People call her the Japanese Shakespeare because of her works. Not only that, but she has quite the fanbase... mostly women, though."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "That is interesting to know..."

Now that he looked more closely, most of the people in line were female.

"I hope we don't have to stand in line too long," Shuu muttered, a hand on his chin. "Though, we can come by later, but something tells me the line will be even bigger."

"A risk we'll have to take, I'm afraid." Lelouch said. "If I don't get those supplies Kimi asked me for, she'll have my head."

"Indeed. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, my companion."

Lelouch smiled wryly at that last one. Oh, he knew perfectly well how true that statement. "Well, let's get going." he said as they turned to leave, vanishing into the small, thin crowd of pedestrians at Sunshine. Unknown to him and Shuu, however, a figure stood atop one of the buildings, watching them carefully.

"So...where are you going next...?"

The figure heavily cloaked in dark, tattered robes, sitting atop the ledge that overlooked the entire street. His left arm, which rested on his right knee, was entirely wrapped in bandages, while his face was obscured by a black, metal mask that resembled a skull, having a lipless mouth, iron teeth, and two metal bolts on either side of the cheek. The eyes were the darkest part about the mask, as they resembled glowing red eyes.

"...Let's see how things turn out..." He leaned forward, seemingly about to fall off the ledge and down below before he vanished mid air.

Lelouch paused for a moment, turning around to look behind him. A cold chill passed down his neck, and his senses burned, if only for a slight second. "Is something the matter, Mezame-san?" Shuu asked, noticing his pause. Lelouch stared at the crowd, eyes narrowed. That feeling just now... It had felt like nothing but utter, cold malice.

"...it's nothing." he said, turning back around. "Nothing at all."

* * *

 **Next Time: Episode 4: A Familiar Face**

* * *

 _ **Yeah, sorry this took me so long. Been busy... though I hope everybody enjoys this immensely~ Next chapter, we have a brief encounter with Eto, and then afterwards, Lelouch's first real fight in this new world, where he is forced to adapt to the ways of the world. Code Geass: Tokyo Ghoul is currently being worked on, but the chapter should be out before the end of November. I can promise you all that much!**_

 _ **Please, tell me your thoughts about this chapter! As always, you all have a wonderful day or night, wherever you live!**_

 _ **OH! Before I forget... This is a message addressed to all followers of a YouTuber by the name of Chibi Review. In case you have not heard yet, the man's about to lose his channel because of bullshit copyright reasons, courtesy of one Tokyo Radio Station, or whatever the fuck they are called. The man is distraught, he is teriffied, and HE. NEEDS. MORAL. SUPPORT. I mean, the man finally got 100K! That takes a long time to achieve! He has worked so hard, and he's about to lose it all! If you are a fan of Chibi Review, and you are reading this, then give that wonderful son a bitch reassurance.**_

 _ **That's all. Please, be safe. Demons Anarchy of Pride, out~**_


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